“Haven’t heard a thing. What’s going on?”
I’m grateful Lucas asks. I’m not sure I can discuss him civilly.
“He’s in the hospital. Don’t know all the details, but I don’t think he’s doing too good.”
“What happened?”
“Fight with his girlfriend’s brother or something like that.” He had a girlfriend when he came after Adelyn? “Apparently the girlfriend’s brother beat the shit out of him. He has swelling of the brain and a serious spinal cord injury. His doctors are saying he’ll never walk again. That’s if he survives the head injury.”
Adelyn hasn’t called. She must not know yet.
“I’m about to head over to the hospital if y’all want to ride with me.”
“Of course,” Lucas says.
I’d bet money Russ abused the sister and her brother was giving Russ a taste of his own medicine. Obviously, the brother took it too far, same as I would have done had Adelyn not stopped me.
Lucas and Porter are oblivious to what the fucker has done. He’s one of our biggest clients and a good friend as far as they know. I have to put in an appearance at the hospital or face questions I’m not ready to answer yet.
“Yeah. I’ll go too.”
18
Adelyn Maxwell
Prognosis confirmed. Russ Martin is conscious and will survive. But as a paraplegic. No motor function from the waist down. Seems too good to be true.
“You’re sure?”
Oliver nods. “That’s what his mother told me when I spoke with her today.”
Good thing I’m already sitting on Oliver’s office sofa. Otherwise, I might fall.
I never have to worry about that bastard coming after me? He will never hurt me or any other woman again? I can’t believe it.
The lump in my throat burns, aches, as I try to hold in the tears. It’s useless to try and stop them. These tears of relief are coming whether I want them to or not.
Some people, such as my parents, would believe it’s wrong for me to see this as justice but that’s what this is to me. Martin got what he deserved. I can move on without worrying he’ll come after me again. I can live my life without constant fear.
But what about the woman he hurt and her family? “What will become of the man who injured Martin?”
“He’ll face charges.”
There’s no justice in that.
“What do you know about him? The brother?”
“I was told he’s a family man. Husband and father of three small children. Hard worker. No history of violence but he snapped when he saw what Russ had done to his sister. Totally understandable.”
“Especially if she looked anything like I did.” You could have told someone I’d been hit head-on by a train, and they wouldn’t have argued about it.
What a terrible situation for this woman and her brother. He should have proper legal representation. He wouldn’t be in this predicament if Martin hadn’t hurt his sister. “I want to help this man with his legal fees. I can’t be dragged into this publicly so it’ll need to happen anonymously. Some kind of donation.”
“That’s really generous.”
“I’m not doing it to be giving. I’m indebted to him.” This man has no idea he’s ended my daily nightmare. I don’t have to live in fear anymore and that’s priceless. I owe him everything.
God, I was cocky and confident that I had grown strong enough to prevent Martin from overpowering me again. Boy, he proved me wrong the night of the birthday party. I’m not under the impression that I was winning when Oliver found us. Martin would have eventually subdued me if Oliver hadn’t come to my rescue when he did.
It was a reality check, and it robbed me of the confidence I’d worked so hard to build. From that night on, I feared Martin could come for me at any time. And he could have.
I knew I was looking into the eyes of a desperately obsessed man when Martin spun me around and forced me to face him. He cared what others thought so blackmail had been perfect for making him behave the way I wanted. But no fucks were given when he came after me the night of Oliver’s party. He wanted what he wanted and he intended on having it. On having me. Consequences be damned.
The last two weeks have been terrifying. The only time I’ve felt safe was when I was with Oliver. He knew that and has stuck by my side. He’s made himself my protector. And it makes me fall even harder for him.
We’ve been inseparable every night for a month. You don’t spend that kind of time with a man and not fall completely in love with him.
I love Oliver Thorn.
And he doesn’t know and I’m too scared to tell him. Too afraid he won’t or can’t love me in return.
Oliver may not love me but he seems happy with us. I don’t want things to change, but does he? “I hope this change of circumstances won’t affect our sleeping arrangement.”
“It doesn’t change anything for me. As far as I’m concerned, the only decision to be made each night is whether we stay at your place or mine.”
“Good. I like what we have.”
I want so badly to tell him that I love him and want to spend every night of the rest of my life with him. This would be the perfect opportunity if I could gather my nerve to say the words.
I swallow hard over what feels like my heart beating in my throat. I love you. The words are so simple. Easy to enunciate. Nothing tongue-tying about them. All I have to do is spit them out.
They’re on the tip of my tongue. Dangling. Begging to be set free.
“Hey, Oliver.” A woman appears in the doorway of his office. A drop-dead gorgeous brunette. And I have no idea who she is. Every day he comes home to me and I can’t recall him mentioning anyone who would fit this woman’s description. Not once. It’s unnerving.
The beauty holds up a folder. “I have a copy of the design for the Winter Lager label. It’s pretty cool. Porter rocked it.”
“What about you?”
“Okay. We rocked it together.”
She steps into Oliver’s office and sees me on his sofa. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were with a client. I can come back later.”
“No client. This is my girlfriend, Adelyn.”
I don’t get tired of hearing him call me that. And I must say it fills me with pride to see Oliver introduce me as his girlfriend to such an attractive woman. Or girl. She looks pretty young now that I have a better look at her.
“This is Frankie. She’s Porter’s graphic design intern.”
College kid. No wonder she looks so young.
“Great to meet you. Do you go to Alabama?”
“I did but I graduated in May. I was super lucky Porter’s assistant quit right when I needed a position. The timing couldn’t have worked out better for me.”
“Frankie is our warehouse manager’s daughter,” Oliver adds.
That means she’s Iron City family. I must admit knowing that makes me feel less intimidated.
He looks at the young woman. “You’ve been running around this warehouse since you were how old?”
“Daddy came to work at Iron City when I was sixteen.”
“I can’t believe it’s been that long.” Oliver opens the envelope and takes out the proposed label. “Wow, Frankie. This is an awesome graphic.”
“I know. The hipster beard part was my idea, but Porter did the text. See how it weaves in and out of the beard.”
“Yeah. I love the colors too. It’s really great.”
Frankie is beaming. “Now we just need Lucas to sign off on it, and we can send it over to the printer.”
“No worries. He’ll love it. It sorta looks like him.”
“I think so too.” Frankie snaps her fingers and points at the door. “It’s five o’clock. I’m outta here. Door open or closed?”
“Closed.”
“You got it, boss. Nice meeting you, Adelyn.”
“You too, Frankie.”
I’m left with an entirely different feeling about the beauty than when sh
e first entered the office. “She seems like a nice girl.”
“She is.”
“And very pretty.”
“Fuck, that girl is the epitome of an ugly duckling.”
I don’t think anything about Frankie could be unattractive. “No way. She’s gorgeous.”
“I’m not kidding. She used to come to work with her dad when she was in high school over summer break. We’d let her do odd jobs around the office to help Molly out. It gave her a little spending money in her pocket. She had a straight figure. Kept her hair cut short like a boy. Always wore baggy clothes. You couldn’t tell by looking she was a girl. She stopped coming to work with him after she graduated high school, and we didn’t see her again until a few months ago when she came in to apply for the position with Porter.”
“Well, she doesn’t look like a boy now.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
He’s agreeing, and I can tell he thinks she’s attractive, but for some reason it doesn’t bother me.
“She looks really young.”
“She’s a really smart girl. I think she took a lot of hours and summer classes so she could graduate early. I believe Scott said she was twenty-one.”
“Someone will be scooping her up soon.”
“Well, it won’t be me. I’ve already scooped up the one I want.”
I beckon him with my index finger. “Come here.”
He sits beside me and I toss my leg over his thighs, straddling him, my pencil skirt bunching up at the tops of my thighs. “Your girl’s very happy to have been scooped.” I press a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m thinking of letting Michelle take over next weekend’s event so we can do something.”
“I have a meeting in Macon on Friday afternoon. I was planning to drive back to Birmingham afterward but I won’t if you can take off and go with me. We could continue on to Savannah after my meeting and make a long weekend of it. My parents will be gone on their anniversary trip, but we can stay at the house.”
I’ve never been to Savannah but I’ve heard it’s beautiful. “I have a meeting with a big client on Friday, but I can reschedule. Her event is months down the road so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Do it. It’ll be our first getaway.”
“Our first getaway. I love the sound of that.”
Oliver kisses that dip at the base of my throat as his hands glide up my thighs. They aren’t shy about pushing my skirt up to my waist.
“The door isn’t locked.”
“It’s after five on Friday. Everyone got out of here an hour ago.”
“Frankie didn’t.”
“No, but she’s not coming back either.”
“Are you sure?”
“No one is hanging around, but if they are, they wouldn’t come into my office with the door shut.” Oliver teases my lips with his tongue. “I want you to ride my cock. Right here, right now. We can christen the sofa.”
I recall our conversation a while back about ways to wear out this couch. I’m not disappointed to learn he hasn’t slept with another woman on it.
I touch my fingers to his bottom lip. “Ride your cock, huh?”
His fingers push the crotch of my panties aside and dips them inside me. “Come on, Max. Wrap this pussy around my cock and ride it until we both come.”
I reach for the button of his jeans. “How can I resist when you say such romantic things?”
“I know how to be romantic.”
“You know how to be nasty. But it’s okay. You know I like down and dirty.”
I asked Oliver to be alpha and he is. Innately so, which is a huge turn-on. He’s evolving into the role perfectly but sometimes I want romantic too. I wonder if that’s confusing for him. To hear me tell him to choke me but bring me flowers.
Now isn’t the time to discuss it. Now is the time to christen this sofa.
I pull his dick out of his pants and sink over him until he’s fully inside me. I rise on my knees and plunge down again, rolling my hips forward to take him so deep his tip hits my womb.
His arms are wrapped around my waist and he thrusts upward, using his hold to pull me down hard on his cock. “Does that feel good?”
“Yes. I love you inside me.”
He releases my waist and moves his hands to my face, forcing me to look at his blue eyes. “I love you, Max.” He stretches upward and kisses my mouth as he continues thrusting into me. “You can’t imagine how much I fucking love you.”
My head spins with the reality of hearing Oliver’s affirmation. Those three words. They are the world to me.
I press my forehead to his. “I love you too. So much I sometimes think my heart might explode.”
I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold tightly as he takes control and thrusts into me over and over until his body jerks, and he spasms inside me.
We both go completely still, but he holds me tightly against him. “This is what I want. You and me.” I feel the rumble of his chest when he chuckles. “With me inside you as often as possible.”
“This is what I want too.”
He pulls back and kisses my forehead. “See? I told you I can be romantic.”
Oliver tells me he loves me while we fuck on his office sofa. Not exactly flowers, pretty lingerie, and making love by candlelight but he loves me. “Yeah. You’re very romantic.”
“Okay. I know this probably isn’t how you wanted to hear I love you the first time. I got carried away. But I can be romantic. And I will be. You’ll see.”
You can’t imagine how much I fucking love you.
This is what I want. You and me.
“You said the words. That’s all that matters to me.”
I got my I-love-you. Correction: I got my I-fucking-love-you.
It doesn’t matter if we’re at Iron City brewery on an office sofa or in bed surrounded by a dozen burning candles. I fall more in love with Oliver every second we’re together. I don’t need all that other stuff. Just him.
19
Oliver Thorn
I want my trip with Adelyn to be special. Romantic. I’m shit at planning that kind of stuff so I know exactly who should help me. Savannah’s number-one tour guide. “Hey, sis. Can you come down to my office for a minute?”
“Yeah. Everything all right?” There’s concern in Lawry’s voice.
“Fine. I just need a woman’s help planning something for Adelyn.”
“Okay. I have a scheduled conference call with a BCC client in five minutes. I’ll come down after that.”
Adelyn is an event planner. She pays careful attention to all details so I want everything about this weekend to be flawless for her.
I’ve changed my mind about staying at Mom and Dad’s house. Sleeping with Adelyn in the bedroom where I used to jack off into a sock won’t make for an unforgettable weekend. I want to make love to her in the most romantic hotel in Savannah. Wine and dine her in the finest restaurants. Hold hands with her while I show her iconic Savannah.
“Hey, dipshit.” Porter doesn’t knock or ask permission to enter my office. He waltzes in like always.
He sinks into the chair across from me and puts his motherfucking feet on my desk. Guess I don’t have room to bitch though. I do the same to him and Lucas at least once a day. “Frankie says you like the label for the Winter Lager.”
“Yeah, it’s cool. Very hipster.” Fits in with our branding perfectly.
“She did a great job on that design.”
“She initially told me you were the one who rocked it.”
“Not true. It’s all her idea and artwork. All I did was help her fine-tune the text.”
Odd she wouldn’t want to take credit.
“I could tell it wasn’t your work. It didn’t have the Porter look about it.” I chuckle. “You do realize she’s better than you, right?”
“I know. She’s damn good at what she does. A very talented artist.”
“Especially for someone so young.”
“She’s not that young.”
“Twenty-one is pretty fucking young. Don’t you remember the shit we did when we were her age?”
“We were guys in a fraternity. Total dumbasses. She doesn’t act the way we did.”
“That’s good to know because if she pulled shit like we did, she wouldn’t work here for very long.” Our asses stayed in some kind of trouble all the time.
“I want to talk about her position at Iron City.”
Frankie was originally brought on as an intern to help Porter until we could find someone with more experience to take a full-time position. She’s been with us most of the summer, and I’m sure her ninety days must be coming to an end soon.
“I want to keep her. Give her the full-time position.”
I was under the impression Frankie planned on leaving Birmingham at the end of the summer. “What happened to her moving away?”
“She changed her mind.”
“I know Scott’s happy about that.” That man is crazy about his daughter. He’s wrapped around her little finger.
“She wants the full-time position, and she’s proven she can do it. She might not have a lot of experience, but anyone else we’d hire wouldn’t have grown up around this place and understand the business like she does.”
I can’t disagree with that.
Scott is a loyal employee. Always honest and dependable. Hard-working. I’m sure he has raised Frankie to be the same way.
“You’re in charge of art, marketing, and branding so it’s your decision as far as I’m concerned. If you think she does a good job, then give the position to her.”
“I think she’s perfect for the job so I guess it’s settled. She’s staying.”
Porter looks happy. Maybe a little too happy.
“Are you fucking her?”
Porter’s eyes widen. “What?”
He didn’t say no. “You heard me. Are. You. Fucking. Her?”
He takes his feet off my desk and sits upright before leaning forward, his forearms resting on his thighs. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that.”
“I’ve asked you twice now, and you’ve not denied it yet.” He’s avoiding the question. Same as the other times when I asked if he were seeing someone.
Southern Girl Series: Bohemain Girl, Neighbor Girl & Intern Girl Page 45
