Chapter 46
Kasey
Kasey had dreamed of being in Jay’s arms since she had kicked him out of her house, so her insides melted when his hands roamed her body. He walked with ease, climbing the steps as if he knew his way around her place. Their tongues danced together while she tugged at his hair, pulling him away while pressing their lips together, desperate for more.
“Where’s your bedroom?” Jay asked her, his lips bright red and a little swollen.
“Right,” Kasey answered, before pulling him back to her. Jay didn’t resist, kissing her passionately as he moved into her bedroom.
Kasey was insecure for a short moment when they entered her room. Jay placed her on the bed as if she was made of glass, before glancing around the room, which was a fraction of the size of his own. She swallowed slowly, wondering what he thought about her place.
“I imagined your room to be more—pink,” he looked down at her as he unbuttoned his shirt.
“Did you think I was a teenager?” she shot back, wiggling out of her black satin pajama pants before she pulled the camisole over her head, purposely ripping the hair tie from her hair in the process.
She was so aroused, even her hair falling against her back sent shivers down her spine as she watched Jay undress. His eyes locked onto hers. His tattoos were so sexy and again, unexpected; Kasey couldn’t imagine ever getting used to seeing him so intimately.
It was such a relief to learn the truth, and to her surprise, her feelings wasted no time returning in full force. The truth was, she had never stopped wanting him, and knowing that he felt the same set her on fire.
“Come here,” she beckoned with her index finger, and Jay followed, biting his bottom lip as his eyes wandered over her body.
“God, I missed you,” he groaned.
Kasey opened her mouth and his tongue pushed past her lips before she could find the words, and she moaned instead. Their bodies melted together as if nothing had ever come between them.
Jay eased her down onto her back, his tongue caressing hers as her shoulder blades settled onto the mattress. He cupped her face in his warm hands and broke away from their kiss to stare down into her eyes. Then he pushed his hips between her thighs, and she opened her legs until her knees rested upon the mattress. He dropped low and moved his hips up and down to trace his cock along the slippery wetness of her pussy.
“I missed you more,” Kasey whispered.
Jay traced her cheekbones with his thumbs as he pushed the tip of his cock inside her. Kasey’s breath caught in her throat and she reached up to cling to his shoulders as he eased deeper inside of her.
She had missed the fullness of him and their bodies worked together to push him further and deeper.
“Baby,” he growled, burying himself deep inside her with a need she could feel in every bone of her body. His thrusts became more powerful and soon his thighs were slapping against hers. The impact echoed around the room as Kasey came undone beneath him.
Kasey screamed his name, her back arching as her orgasm crept up from the depths of her belly.
She felt him everywhere—from the tips of her toes to the hairs standing on the back of her neck. She was alive for the first time since their split, and when she finally let go, the stress of the past few weeks poured out of her like a fountain.
“Give it to me, Kasey,” Jay growled, lifting himself before falling into her hard and fast as she exploded around him, her climax taking over.
Jay wasn’t far behind, working into her hard and fast until he could take no more, shooting hot semen before slowing to a stop as Kasey gripped him tightly. Their bodies rocked together slowly, a thin sheen of sweat working like glue between them as Jay whispered her name.
Kasey was spent and sated, blinking as she tried to make sense of everything. She couldn’t help but question if it was just another of her many dreams of him, but as he looked down into her wide eyes, she knew it had to be real.
In one motion, Jay rolled onto his back, taking Kasey with him until she was resting on his hard chest with his arms draped around her.
“These sheets are the devil,” he shook his head, still struggling to catch his breath, the satin clinging to their wet bodies.
“They’re not really for the active lifestyle,” Kasey giggled.
She didn’t want to admit it, but Kasey had never welcomed a man into her bed. It was her private sanctuary, too sacred for a random hook-up, which was all her sex life had consisted of over the past few years.
Her career was her life, and she had no regrets about it. Her dedication was the main reason she had reached a level of success much higher than her peers, so she was willing to sacrifice whatever was necessary.
Jay was the first person to ever make her believe she could have both—a relationship and a career. He was the total package, and having him back felt like a dream she didn’t want to wake from.
“What are you thinking about?” Jay disrupted her thoughts. She glanced up to see him staring at her inquisitively.
“Oh,” she blushed, unaware that he had been watching her. Publishing was her life, and although she wanted a romantic relationship with Jay, there was a longing inside of her to make things rights at Passions Publishing.
That was Jay’s life, and she wanted to be a part of it. Besides, she felt immense guilt for how everything had gone into flames over his deal with Renee. While she couldn’t honestly say that things would have been different if he’d revealed his true intentions earlier, now that he had, she wanted to restore his company.
“I have some ideas for Passions,” she finally answered, thinking of an idea she had been contemplating for months.
There was a new way of working with clients she wanted to introduce, and she was happy to lend her creativity to Jay. He had inspired her on more than one occasion, before she even knew him personally. Now that she had the privilege of getting to know him so intimately, she wanted to help him more than ever.
“Don’t worry about business, Kasey,” he smiled from the side of his mouth, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
“What are you planning to do?” she asked, knowing there had to be several strategies rolling around in his head.
“It doesn’t matter. I can rebuild Passions, but what we had could never be replaced.” He shook his head, as if the thought of not having her was unbearable, and she felt it in her groin.
Climbing on top of him, she straddled Jay while her mind raced with ways she could help take him back to the top, only this time they’d be there together.
“What are you doing?” he laughed, while his hands cupped her ass.
Kasey answered with a kiss, lifting her hips as she positioned herself above him, grinding her sex against his erection, ready for more, in more ways than one.
Chapter 47
Jay
Jay walked into the office with a smile on his face. It had been a while since he felt like himself, but after two days with Kasey, he was feeling on top of the world. Nothing could shake his supreme confidence, not even Mitchell who was awaiting his arrival, perched in his favorite seat.
“Good morning,” Jay the back of Mitchell’s head as he walked into his office.
“You’re early,” Mitchell growled, turning to greet Jay without a smile on his face.
“I’ve got a lot to do,” Jay answered. It was the truth. He’d developed a plan, and now all that stood between him and the success he was normally accustomed to, was hard work and dedication, neither of which was foreign to him.
“Well, you better. I’ve been on the phone with the legal team all morning, and there’s no plan in sight.”
Mitchell was panicking, but Jay knew how to handle it. Mitchell was usually pretty calm, but this time he was really rattled. Maybe because Jay had made some reckless and terrible decisions that didn’t have any easy remedies.
“I’ve been talking with Kasey. She’s coming in today with a new strategy I think will put us back on top where we belo
ng,” Jay smiled, while revealing his secret weapon. He wasn’t ready to share with Mitchell how close they were, considering his unpredictable moods, but he couldn’t contain his excitement about their future.
“What time should I be ready to hear this?” Mitchell asked, as he stood, apparently satisfied with Jay’s explanation.
“I’ll call your office when she gets here?” Jay had to fight back his smile. It never ceased to amaze him how Mitchell could be an executive in such a stressful industry, yet sometimes seem about to crumble under pressure.
“Fine.”
Mitchell was gone before Jay could inquire about how long he’d been waiting in his office. All he’d done was run up another bill with the legal team, who would surely be sending over a five figure invoice to cover Mitchell’s worrying. As Jay settled into his desk to prepare for the meeting, he decided Mitchell was due a few hours with the lawyers to ease his anxiety, although he wished his best friend could just take it up with his shrink on his own dollar.
The day blew past as Jay checked emails, responded to requests, and checked tasks off his to-do list. Before long, Kasey was texting him to alert him of her arrival, and he met her at the elevator after instructing his secretary to email Mitchell and set up the conference room for an impromptu meeting.
“You look lovely,” he greeted Kasey, who instantly blushed, looking as beautiful as she did when he’d left her in bed that morning.
“You never disappoint in a suit yourself, sir,” she subtly tugged at his suit jacket before continuing toward his office.
The staff lit up at her return, different employees leaving their cubicles to greet her with open arms. Instantly, Jay warmed with the affirmation that he’d made the right decision in sacrificing so much to have her back with him, both at home and here in the office.
“Okay, she’ll be back for the social hour later,” Jay interrupted the gathering, placing his palm on the small of Kasey’s back as he led her towards the conference room.
“You’re being a bit touchy for the office, aren’t you?” Kasey whispered once they were out of earshot of the staff.
“You can’t expect me to be hands off after this morning,” Jay leaned down to whisper directly in Kasey’s ear.
Never in a million years did he imagine himself being so open with a woman in the office. Jay was fiercely private about his personal life, but he felt a different kind of possessive energy around Kasey. He wanted everyone to know they were together, which was opposite of his normal approach with the women he dealt with.
Kasey was nothing like the other women he’d had in the past, liaisons he could barely label as relationships. She walked into the conference room with a smile that lit the way, and even Mitchell couldn’t stop from jumping to his feet to greet her.
“Mitchell! It’s so good to see you!” She shook hands with Jay’s business partner before sitting at the head of the table. Jay’s eyebrows rose with shock, but he followed her lead, sitting across from Mitchell so that Kasey was between the two men.
“I’m excited to hear what you’ve been working on,” Mitchell said, and Jay hoped Kasey didn’t hear the skepticism in his tone. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose confidence at such an important meeting.
Agents couldn’t pay for this opportunity—a private meeting with two of the most powerful men in the industry. Kasey reached into her bag, retrieving a thin manila folder. If she was losing confidence, her actions didn’t let on to the shift, as she began her presentation.
“Mitchell, I know you’re familiar with my work, but more importantly, my relationship with my authors,” she began, with a statement that demanded a response.
“Yes, of course. I’ve admired your work for years,” Mitchell crossed his arms, intrigued.
“My success is as much a testament to my network as it is to my commitment to get to know my clients. I offer more than a way to sell books, and that makes me more valuable than a traditional agent. What I offer is a full service agency, providing authors with a unique composition of resources based on their individual needs.”
Jay watched Mitchell’s eyes squint with confusion before he turned towards him. He was waiting for further explanation, but Jay wanted it all to come from Kasey. After all, it was her vision so he doubted anyone could sell it better than her.
“You’re talking about a management company,” he interrupted Kasey’s spiel, but his eyes were on Jay.
“She’s talking about what her clients need and how we can provide a solution,” Jay answered, trying not to sound too defensive.
“There are plenty of management companies available, Kasey,” Mitchell turned his attention to the head of the table.
“You’re right. And there are also plenty of publishing houses, but there isn’t anybody offering both under one roof,” she answered quickly, as if she expected his response.
“So, you want to launch a new company?” Mitchell asked Jay without addressing him directly.
“There’s no reason to build our third house back up as it was. We’ve tried it and we saw how far it could go. Now that we can start from the bottom, it’s up to us to make it stronger, more useful, and a step above the competition,” Jay spoke confidently about Kasey’s strategy.
“The legal team hasn’t even reached their conclusion on the results. I’m sorry, Kasey. I don’t mean to end your presentation, I know you have more to go along with the pitch, but there’s still a chance we can get out of our deal with Renee.”
“Mitchell, why would we wait around for their conclusion when we can be proactive instead?” Jay countered, annoyed by his partner’s lack of innovation.
Kasey had more than a vision, she had spent the time to map out investment costs and expected returns. Mitchell was so concerned with the past he didn’t even give her the benefit of the doubt to focus on the potential of their future.
“Getting something like this off the ground is going to cost a fortune,” Mitchell said, exasperated.
“It’s a small investment in the short run for the returns we can expect in a relatively short time span,” Jay argued, finding a way to keep his cool despite his growing irritation.
“How can you be sure?” Mitchell challenged, unimpressed.
“Well, it’s still business, of course, so nothing is for certain,” Kasey answered.
Jay watched as she presented Mitchell with one graph after the next, outlining her plan in great detail. She was confident and unfazed by his pessimism. Jay was impressed watching her passion as she spoke about her initiative without hesitation.
By the time she finished, Mitchell was out of questions, though he was far from sold on the idea. Looking between the two of them, he shook his head before making his final plea.
“Shouldn’t we at least wait for the final report?”
“No. We’re moving forward with this initiative, Mitchell. Kasey, can you please give him all the projections and necessary steps to implementation? Look over those so you can stay on course,” Jay stood as he gave Mitchell his instructions.
“Of course,” Kasey gathered the paperwork before sliding it to Mitchell.
“And please be sure to cc Mitchell on all email correspondence so that he can be in the loop with everything,” Jay gave one more order before leaving the conference room.
He couldn’t imagine keeping his cool for much longer. Mitchell frustrated him whenever he presented himself as an equal partner, but even more so when he combatted Jay’s strategies. They both knew Jay was the mastermind, but sometimes Mitchell behaved as if he still needed to prove it.
The legal team could come back with whatever outcome they found, it wouldn’t change anything. Jay wasn’t the type of man to wait for someone to save him. He’d made a mistake and he was determined to fix it, but he wanted to do it on his terms.
Chapter 48
Kasey
Mitchell was still apprehensive about her pitch, Kasey could feel it. But she didn’t let that deter her. Instead, she pressed
on with as much of the information as she could remember. Jay had given her less than 24-hours to come up with the pitch for Mitchell, because he was so certain it was a great idea.
The idea for the new company had long been a dream of hers—one she knew would require great assistance from someone more experienced in the industry. The worst thing she could do was push to make her dream happen before she had the adequate resources to actually accomplish it the way she saw it in her mind. So, she kept detailed drafts about how to create an environment ideal to help authors flourish, based on data collected from her meetings with authors.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 49
