by Liv Morris
I stride toward them, needing to know if she’s agreed to go out with him. My stomach twists at the thought of this man’s hands on her. As I near them, I slow my pace and take a couple breaths, trying to regain control of this fire racing through my veins.
“Hello, Barc—I mean, Mr. Hammond,” Tessa says. Her bright blue eyes dart between Mark and me in worry.
“Mr. Hammond,” Mark addresses me. I stuff my hands inside my pockets before he tries to shake either one. Very grown up, Barclay. “Great party, sir.”
“Yes, some of us seem to be enjoying it more than others,” I scoff, causing Mark to look at me confused.
“I think he means some people have nothing left in their glass.” Tessa holds up an empty champagne flute for the save. Southern women and their polished manners.
“Here, let me get you another. I’ll be right back.” Mark takes her glass and scurries toward the bar like a love-struck man. Bastard.
“Barc,” Tessa warns through a fake smile. “What’s the matter with you? All the executive staff is here, so you better be careful.”
“What did he ask you?” I demand.
“Oh God, please not here.” She lowers her head, shaking it.
“Follow me and plaster on a big fat grin like you mean it.”
I casually lead her across the manicured grass to the stone patio. Since everyone’s mixing company ranks at the party, no one seems to take notice of us.
Our final destination is a game room inside the lower level. I open the patio French doors for Tessa and glance back toward the party. I can’t see anyone, even at my height, meaning we’re hidden from prying eyes.
“Through the doors and to the right. The room with the pool table,” I tell her, and Tessa follows my orders, but her searching eyes show concern.
Once we’re both in the room, I close the door and lock it. There aren’t any outside windows, so we have total privacy. Tessa leans her lovely ass against the pool table, arms across her chest. I stalk toward her, placing my hands on either side of her thighs, gripping the felt covered edge of the table.
I stare down at her. She has eyes like the clearest morning sky, pouty lips begging for my kisses, and a hint of cleavage that drives me insane.
“What’s going on with Mark?” I say his name with disgust. Tessa avoids my question and glances down at the floor.
“Please answer me?” I ask quieter, ratcheting down my anger laced voice. “I shouldn’t take out my frustrations on you.”
“You don’t think I’m frustrated too?” She meets my gaze, fire in her eyes. “Being so near you at the office. Friendly texts with you when I’d rather be doing other things. It’s driving me mad.”
She pushes one of my hands off the pool table, freeing herself, then walks away from me. When she stops, I notice her slumped shoulders slightly moving up and down. Shit, I’ve made her cry.
Unable to keep a proper distance from her, I turn her toward me and pull her into my arms. She folds into my chest, so small and delicate. I want to tell her it’s going to be okay, wash away her hurt, but I don’t see a way out of our dilemma. She begins to calm as I caress her back in soothing motions.
“Just being friends isn’t working out very well, is it, sweet girl?” She peers up at me with soft, watery eyes that break my heart. A tear falls down her cheek, and I brush it away.
“It’s horrible, Barclay.” Her voice quivers. “I met your father today. He’s a lovely man, just like you. The consequence of us being together became more real to me. I only have a lifestyle to lose, find another job in the city or elsewhere, but your loss is a legacy built by your father. I can’t be the woman who causes it to burn to the ground.”
“What are you trying to say?” I ask.
“I think it’s best if we quit texting each other and take a break. It’s just too hard being this close to you while wanting more.”
“So, you’re going to go out with him then.”
“Just to a Yankee’s game tomorrow as friends.”
“No man, including me, can ever be just friends with you. Haven’t the last few weeks proven that?” I place a finger under her chin, lifting it higher. “Can I do one thing before you walk out of my life for good?”
“What is it?” she breathes.
“May I kiss you?”
She closes her eyes and exhales, and my pulse races as I wait.
“Yes,” she whispers, opening her eyes.
Our lips touch, moving slowly and sweetly at first. Tentative. But as we continue, the passion we’ve suppressed turns into a raging blaze of need and desire. She places her hands beneath my shirt, touching me with a simple graze of her fingers. The initial feelings are too much, and I flinch as if burned. But nothing holds her back—or me.
I kiss over the curve of her throat, continuing to the swell of her breasts. Wanting more access, I push her over-the-shoulder dress down, exposing a lacy strapless bra. It’s virginal white, and I lose my mind. I reach into each cup, freeing her breasts, and take them into my mouth one by one. When my tongue flicks her nipple, she moans and weaves her hands through my hair, pulling the strands.
I back her up against the nearest wall, wrapping her legs around my waist. Her hot center meets my hard cock. The feel of her is torturous ecstasy. I take her hands in mine and raise them over her head, pinning her to the wall. Our gazes lock in that moment like a slap to the face.
“Barclay?” she asks, her voice cracking.
“I know, Tessa. I know.” I bury my face in the crook of her neck and breath her in. If I can’t consume her with my body, at least I can store away her scent.
After a minute, I release her hands and adjust her bra and dress, fixing the results of my out of control passion. When I step away from the wall, I lower her legs to the ground, and a distant chill cools the fire in my veins.
“I better go,” she says, eyes looking at anything but me.
After smoothing her blond hair and straightening her dress, she’s gone, likely heading back to the party and starry-eyed Mark. I slump against the pool table, arms spread wide on the edge and head hanging low.
I hear someone enter the room and immediately hope it’s her returning to me.
“Tessa?” I call out as I turn around, but it’s my mother standing just inside the door. She’s looking at me with sadness etched across her face. It’s an expression I’ve seen countless times over the years, especially when I’m hurting and need her help or comfort. This time, neither is possible.
“Oh, Barclay,” she says, walking toward me, taking me in her arms. “Tessa’s the young woman your sister told me about.”
She releases me from her arms and pulls back to look up into my eyes. It’s strange how blurry she appears at this moment.
“Yes, she’s the one.” There’s no use hiding anything from her. A mother always knows.
“Believe it or not, I understand all too well what you’re going through. As you know, your father and I fell madly in love when I came to work for him, but it was a different time in the corporate world. Today, the rules are less forgiving.”
“I fell for her before she was hired. Hell, I was the last one to know she had gotten the job, but the no-fraternization rules are clear. We can’t be together, and I’m the company’s leader. One mess up from me and everyone pays.”
“I have an idea.” I see the wheels turning in her smiling blue eyes. “Don’t give up just yet, son.”
40
Tessa
“I had a great time at the game tonight. Thanks,” I tell Mark. We’re standing together outside my apartment door. “I should’ve split the cost of the tickets with you, though.”
The fact that he lives across the hall makes this goodbye awkward. Actually, it makes all things awkward, because I only see him as a friend.
“It was my pleasure, really,” he says, looking from my eyes to my lips.
Oh no! Is he going to kiss me? Barclay was right about one thing: he likes me in the more-than-a-frien
d way. I’ve been picking up those vibes from him all night.
I pull my bag open and start digging around for my keys. Anything to distract him from kissing me.
“Here they are.” I hold my keys up in the air, conveniently filling the space between us and hoping he takes the hint.
But he doesn’t. He springs forward, his arm landing on my shoulder as his mouth connects with mine in a wet, sloppy kiss, reminiscent of licks from a happy puppy. I pull away and wipe my lips.
Gross.
He turns scarlet, as he should. “How dare you kiss me like that?”
“I’m sorry,” he says with sad eyes and a deflated stance.
Truly sorry or not, he needs to know exactly how I feel about him. At this point, he gives me the damn creeps.
“That kiss was presumptive, Mark.” I place a hand on my hip, and he retreats a step. “It’s not like we’re five years old on the playground. Your approach was way too aggressive for me.”
“Are you going to tell Mr. Hammond?”
“Barclay?” I ask. He tilts his head, then his eyes narrow, assessing me.
I cover my mouth in shock, realizing I used his first name—something a junior executive doesn’t do at Hammond.
“I saw you two going toward the house, alone. Then you were upset when you came back to the party.” Mark searches my face, looking for a slip, but I won’t give him one.
“I was looking for the restroom and Mr. Hammond showed me the one inside,” I lie without any regrets, because I won’t let him expose the man I … I love? It’s the first time I’ve admitted it to myself, but I love him madly, more than a dream job.
What good will it be if I don’t have him? The question gives me an epiphany, and I have to act on it now.
“I have to go, Mark.” I spin around and unlock my door.
After booting up my laptop, I open my company email program and start an email to Ms. Young.
Dear Ms. Young,
I want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me at Hammond Press and the confidence you have in my abilities. For reasons I can’t discuss, unfortunately, I must resign as junior marketing manager effective immediately.
Sincerely,
Contessa Holly
My finger hovers over the mouse, knowing one click changes my world … for today. The chances are I’ll land another publishing gig or something close, but will I find another man like Barclay—one I love with my whole heart, and who I think loves me?
I press send. He’s worth the gamble. I refuse to live my life with what ifs. My new motto: live my life with no regrets. And my new goal, for tonight anyway: find Barclay and lose it.
I change out of the clothes I wore to the baseball game with creepy Mark and shower off any remnants of his DNA. I brush my hair and reapply my makeup. Next up, what to wear.
Maggie bought me a sexy pink slip dress before I left town. It’s street wear lingerie and perfect for tonight. I leave my undergarments sitting in the dresser drawer all alone, and make my way up to the top floor of Hammond Hotel.
I step off the elevator, and bottled up emotions come bubbling up. I just quit my job and can finally be his. Nothing stands in our way. Shaky legs carry me to the hallway and the lone apartment door on the entire floor. I inhale confidence and exhale fear before I push the doorbell, praying he’s home.
A beat later, the door opens, and a disheveled Barclay stands in the doorway. His hair’s mussed in every direction and a delicious layer of scruff covers his chiseled jaw. He’s wearing an unbuttoned white linen shirt, displaying cut abs, and jeans that hang low enough that I can see the edge of his boxer briefs.
“How was your date, sweet girl?” he snarls at me, a slight slur to his words. The smell of strong alcohol on his breath lingers in the air.
He’s drunk, with a fiery passion in his eyes that could ruin me if it’s let loose, and I’ve never wanted anything so much.
41
Barclay
I lean my hand against the doorframe, steadying myself after spending the evening with a bottle of bourbon. It was a wasted effort in the end, because nothing is powerful enough to erase Tessa from my mind … and heart.
She taunts me, standing in the hallway looking so fucking beautiful in a barely-there dress revealing dangerous curves my fingers itch to touch again. Her hard nipples are outlined in perfect detail, as if she’s bare underneath. I can only take so much before I cross the line I’m trying to balance on.
“You were right,” she whispers, gazing up at me. “Mark wanted more.”
“Did he try to kiss or touch you?” My angry voice fills the air between us. How dare he take what should be mine?
“When he tried to kiss me, it was horrible, Barclay.” Her voice cracks as she walks toward me, eyes shining with unshed tears. “He wasn’t you, and I wanted him to be you so bad.”
Between Tessa’s pleas and my bourbon-soaked brain, the last bit of my resolve melts away. I know one thing: I never want to spend another night without her again.
“Rules be damned. Tonight, you’re going to be mine,” I growl, taking hold of her hand and drawing her inside my apartment. With a quick kick, I close the door and the world behind us.
She tries to speak, but I claim her mouth, silencing her with a long kiss. I inch my fingers under her dress to grab her ass and find her bare underneath.
“Are you trying to kill me? Running around without anything under this flimsy material. Tell me you didn’t go out with him like this.”
“It’s just for you,” she breathes. “I need to tell you something, Barclay.”
“You’re telling me all I need to hear with your lips on mine,” I whisper, showering her neck with kisses. “We can talk later.”
“Mmhmm,” she mutters, melting into my arms. Finally.
“I’m taking you to my bed,” I announce, scooping her up in my arms, her hands encircling my neck.
“Yes, please.” She gives me a shy, sweet smile, reminding me of her innocence and how special this night is for her.
Entering my master suite, I hold her closer, needing to calm any fears she may have. “I’ll do everything to make it good for you. Will you trust me, Tessa?”
She peeks up at me through her lashes, eyes bright. “I’m all yours. I want you to be the one.” She brings her lips to mine in a scorching kiss.
42
Tessa
He handles me like I’m made of fragile glass and eases me down on the large master bed. It fits the room and the man. The lights are turned off, but the city glows through a wall of windows, sending moving shadows across the ceiling and walls.
He stands a few feet away from the bed and removes his shirt. The lighting is muted, but I can still make out his carved abs. I wish he wasn’t beyond my reach. I want to touch him so bad.
Piece by piece, he undresses himself until there’s only one more item of clothing left: his boxer briefs. I wait for the reveal, and when he pushes them down his legs, I gasp. He’s long and hard—gravity defying. My word. Seeing a naked man on the internet is nothing compared to the vision of Barclay in person. I can’t quit staring at his perfection.
The dark shadows mix with the dim light and crisscross over his body, making him look like a granite statue of masculine beauty. I glance up at his face to find him smirking at me, knowing I’ve been caught ogling him.
“Raise your hands over your head, baby.” I do as he asks, and he removes my dress, stepping back to ogle me. “You’re lovely beyond words.”
I fight the urge to cover myself as his eyes pore over every inch of my exposed skin. Barclay must sense my unease, and brushes my cheek in a lingering touch. It’s so tender and caring, all my self-conscious feelings begin to fade away.
“No man can ever be fully worthy of you, Tessa, but I’ll try.” My eyes cloud with tears knowing how he sees me, even if I don’t believe it myself.
“I want you, Barclay. Only you.”
He reaches into his nightstand, pulls out a foiled
square and a bottle filled with a clear lubricant, and places them on the bed.
“I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you sitting in the restaurant, so pretty in pink, coloring the space around you. With your blond hair caressing shoulders I longed to touch. I couldn’t get you off my mind.”
His hands gently spread my legs apart, then he positions himself over me. He kisses my lips, then takes my nipple into his mouth and does that trick with his tongue that drives me wild. I grab hold of his hair for dear life.
“You really like that.” He chuckles.
“Please, don’t stop,” I beg.
“Never,” he exclaims, moving lower and trailing his lips over my stomach, stopping at the valley where my hips and thighs meet. When he sucks the tender skin there, I arch my back off the bed and whimper.
His tongue and fingers find my aching center and join to work me into a moaning frenzy.
“Barclay,” I moan. “I had no idea.”
“This is only the beginning, sweet girl. There are so many things I want to do to you.”
Somewhere in the lust-filled haze of his touches, I hear him tear the foil pack. He kneels between my legs, coating the condom with lubricant.
I stare at the beauty of him in complete awe. Powerful thighs, a cut jawline set hard while he concentrates on his task. This moment is more than I’d ever dreamed of for my first time, and my heart flutters in anticipation as our eyes lock. This is it, finally.
“Are you sure, Tessa?” he asks, anxious eyes waiting for my reply.
“Yes, please. There’s no one I’d rather be with than you.” He smiles down at me with a heady mix of lust and adoration.
Positioning himself at my entrance, he gently pushes inside me, and by some miracle, I begin to stretch with him. He stares intently at me, watching for my every reaction and feeling.
When he reaches a point of resistance, he thrusts against it, and I feel a flash of pain that steals my breath.
