by Lexy Timms
“Haven’t decided yet,” Simon replied. “I’ll make sure you and Finn have plenty of space to yourselves, though, so I won’t set Dad up in an apartment next door to yours or across from yours either.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She offered him a pained smile, almost regretting that he had caught on to her unease about this setup.
He gave a curt nod and guided her to the apartment two doors down from his. When he swung the door open, she slipped inside.
Heather had seen each individual luxury apartment in the building, but not even that could have prepared her for how spectacular the décor was. Unlike Simon’s masculine apartment, this one had a more feminine and inviting touch, with pink and gold furnishings.
As he led her into the living room, she was so dazzled by the place that her mouth fell open. “Simon, there are fresh flowers in here.” A bouquet of pink roses was set in a crystal vase on the low, cream and gold- trimmed coffee table. The delicious scent of the flowers hung faintly in the air.
Simon gave her a sheepish grin. “Right before we left Dover I called the housekeeping service that manages the place and asked them to spruce up all the apartments.”
“One housekeeper cleaned up all the apartments in the building?” she asked in shock.
“No, I asked for about twenty housekeepers to come here and—”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “How much money did that cost?”
He released her hand to slide his arms around her waist and draw her close. “No amount of money is too much when I’m spending it on you. Anyway, we agreed that as long as I stay within a certain budget, I can spend my money however I want on you.” He paused. “Never mind all that. We’ve barely had a moment alone today and all I want to do right now is kiss you.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the hard, muscular planes of his chest pressing into her. Their lips met, sending sparks of electric heat radiating through her body. His giving and equally demanding mouth already had her reeling. As he pried her lips apart and plundered her mouth with his tongue, her heart skipped a beat. Something cruel, and frightening, and shadowy was hunting them, and yet she had never felt safer than she did right now in this moment. The safety and comfort of his arms was all she needed to reassure her.
Breathless, she let her hand drift up until she was running her fingers through the locks of his dark hair.
He groaned, the sound rumbling so forcefully in his chest that she could feel it through her blouse, all the way down through her skin until it pierced her heart. For years she hadn’t remembered what it was like to be this wanted. This desired. Simon reminded her of that feeling every day, but she would never be able to get enough of it. Not when her tongue collided with his, causing the most incredible tightening between her legs.
When he pulled away to break them apart, she felt the heavy weight of his gaze as his eyes swept over her. The need in his eyes was so blatant he didn’t have to say a single word.
“Why did the housekeepers decide to bring roses?” she asked, needing a moment to cool the heat that threatened to engulf her.
“I asked them to,” he told her. “I didn’t know which apartment you would want, so I asked them to put roses in each apartment for you.”
“Oh, Simon. You are so sweet.” She blinked rapidly, not wanting to spoil the moment with her waterworks. Getting used to his money was probably not going to happen anytime soon, but she could always appreciate a romantic gesture. Appreciate and then reward it. The sudden heat in her cheeks reminded her of her own desire coursing through her. She reached for one of the roses, plucking it from the vase. Bringing it to her nose, she softly asked, “Do you want to show me what the master bedroom looks like?”
“Is that your way of saying this is your final choice for an apartment?” he asked, his eyebrow quirking up suggestively. “It’s a shame we don’t have the time to test all the bedrooms in the building.”
With a laugh she tugged on his lapel with her free hand, allowing a smile to turn up the corners of her mouth. “One of these days we will. For now, why don’t you show me this master bedroom before everyone arrives?”
Simon was already kicking his shoes off.
Chapter 11
She was giggling when she raced into the bedroom.
He took his time following behind her, enjoying the view of her backside as her hips swayed. The airy sound of her laughter filled the apartment. The apartment that had gone unoccupied for years. Other than taking Heather on a tour of the building and having a photographer snap photos of the building, he couldn’t remember the other times he had set foot in here. As she slipped off her shoes and climbed onto the king-sized bed, he knew that he would definitely remember this apartment visit.
“What do you think of the bedroom?” he asked, watching her lounge on the bed, her gorgeous long legs mesmerizing him. He was instantly hard as he imagined her legs wrapping around him.
“I’ll know what I think after we’ve tried out the bed,” she answered, her voice husky with the same hot desire burning her hazel eyes into gold. Eyes that were holding his in place as she slowly licked her full pink lips. The same shade of pink as the décor in the apartment. The same shade as the rose she was holding in her hand.
She might have been his high school wallflower, but behind closed doors Heather’s layers stripped away to reveal the wanton, shameless woman underneath. That contrast of her prim exterior and uninhibited interior always drove him wild. The fact that she trusted him enough to show him this side of her was something he would never take for granted. He would always be grateful that when she was with him she didn’t hold anything back. Simon vowed to do the same. To always give all of himself when they were like this.
Which was why, without needing any prompting from her, he started to get out of his clothes, stripping it all away until he was standing naked at the foot of the bed.
Her eyes widened as they roamed down his body, stopping at his erection. She sucked in a deep breath, her body quivering in response.
He allowed himself a grin. “Ready?”
She chewed on her bottom lip, her teeth scraping across the pink flesh. “Yes, I’m ready. Now come here.”
Simon’s grin widened. It occurred to him that she was as bossy in the bedroom as she was at work. That was probably how she’d managed to get him to work with the press when nobody else had been able to do it. He’d go over to her in due time. Right now, he wasn’t going to make things that easy for her. “Strip first,” he ordered. “Then I’ll come over.”
A gasp escaped her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. Slowly, her lips twisted up into a mischievous smile that almost knocked him sideways. Damn, she always knew how to get his pulse racing. Today had been brutal, and yet here they were together, still ready to bare themselves to each other even during the worst possible crisis.
Her hands went to the top button of her blouse, and with nimble fingers she undid it, revealing a hint of her pale skin beneath. He watched in rapt attention as she unbuttoned each button until she finally took off her blouse. Her skirt was next.
For a second he thought she was going to torture him by taking her sweet time to get out of her underwear, but her red bra and panties seemed to melt away. Before he could even blink she was lying on her side, holding the rose in one hand, a condom in the other. As his gaze trailed up and down her body, he took in the spectacular rise and fall of her curves.
“Are you ready?” Her voice was a dangerous purr. A challenge he had every intention of meeting.
He got into bed with her, letting his hand lazily trail up and down her hip, enjoying the sensation of her soft skin. Gently, he gave her thigh as squeeze. “Do you want to lie down on your back for me?”
Another mischievous smile. She did as he told her, rolling over to lie down on her back, lift her knees, and spread her legs provocatively.
His lungs tightened as he inhaled at the sight of her bare flesh. Bare and glistening just for him. He paused.
Heather stared up at him expectantly. “Aren’t you ready for me?”
“Always.” He took the rose from her hand and held the petals against her cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Heather.”
She smiled again. Only this smile wasn’t full of mischief. He saw the light of her smile reach her eyes and he knew what it was like to have someone look at him with love in their eyes. Looking at her now he knew that nobody in his life had ever, or would ever love him the way she did. Heather had accepted him. Understood him. And yet, she still always pushed him to be better. He knew in his heart that every moment he spent with her made him a better and better man.
When she looked up at him like this he didn’t feel the burden of the world. Or the weight of a past filled with regret.
“I love you,” she breathed, her marvelous breasts rising and falling as she spoke.
He let the rose trail down her slender neck, then down one of her breasts until he stopped at a hardened nipple. As he let the softness of the rose tease her flesh her skin went from pale to flushed, turning her skin the same color as the rose.
Her breath hitched when he dragged the rose down across her smooth stomach, until he stopped right at the flesh between her legs. A low moan sounded in her throat.
Realizing that he had tormented her long enough he took the condom from her hand, tore it open, and put it on. When he positioned himself between her legs, she looked up at him with so much love in her gaze he had to pause and take it in. Before Heather had come back into his life he didn’t have anyone. No friends, no partner, no family.
Now he had her. The most amazing woman he had ever known. Had her and ached to be inside her. To show her what she meant to him, because sometimes words weren’t enough.
She lifted her head to kiss him, her soft lips parting as they shared a passionate kiss. With her mouth still on his she wrapped her long, shapely legs around his waist, and guided him into her tight, wet heat. Another moan escaped her throat and she broke the kiss to catch her breath.
The pleasure was immediate. Almost blinding. She trembled beneath him as he rocked into her, pushing himself deeper and deeper into her. Into the woman he loved.
“I love you,” she breathed out as she lifted her hips to meet his.
He answered her with another kiss, pressing his lips to hers as he stroked powerfully into her. She tightened around him, the slick wetness of her feeling so good he was on the verge of losing control.
Before he lost control, he had to say the words back to her. Tearing his lips away to look down at her he said, “I love you, too.”
Her breathless cries filled the room and pleasure gripped him so tightly he lost control, climaxing so hard and fast that he collapsed on top of her.
With the little strength he had, Simon rolled off her so that she wouldn’t be crushed under his weight. “How was that?” he asked between gulps of air. “Did you come?”
“Couldn’t you tell?” She slipped across the bed and practically climbed on top of him, her soft, warm body making him delirious with desire already. “Yes, I did,” she whispered before lowering her lips to rain kisses across his face.
He laughed and she giggled as she kept kissing him, her soft lips brushing against his face. With a happy sigh she pulled back to lie down on his chest and he held her close.
“We don’t have much time,” he murmured. “Your dad will probably be here soon. So will mine.”
She sighed again, only this time he heard the frustration in it. When they were alone together like this, nothing could come between them. But with the chilling death threats and the family pressure weighing down on both of them, there was still so much they had to face. Nothing was going to be solved if they didn’t find a way to put their differences aside and face the looming threat together. He hoped that somehow Heather and his father could find a way to get along. Otherwise, their enemies were going to find a way to exploit their divisions.
THERE WASN’T GOING to be any time to fall asleep beside Heather, so he forced himself to pull away from the comfort of her soft body to get cleaned up and put his clothes back on. While Heather got dressed, he made some quick calls to sort out some last-minute details for her now that she was going to be staying here for the foreseeable future.
“Is there any food in the kitchen?” she asked as smoothed down the rumpled sheets. “I want to make something for Finn to eat before he gets here.”
“The refrigerator in this apartment is going to be stocked up later today, so you’re free to eat whatever you want out of my fridge.” He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to speak. “I don’t want to hear a word out of you about the expense. You’re my guest. I’m going to spend whatever I want on you.”
“As long as it’s under ten-thousand dollars,” she reminded him.
He shook his head at her. Trust her to want the last word. Instead of arguing, he leaned over to her to plant a kiss on her lips and take her hand in his. “Let’s head back to my apartment and wait for everyone to arrive.”
Half an hour later, Simon was answering his door while Heather was taking the mac and cheese she had made for them out of the oven.
The doorman had announced his father’s arrival, but Simon was still surprised to find his father had shown up before Finn.
As his father walked into the apartment, Simon shut the door and greeted him. “You’re here earlier than I expected.”
“My boss let me out early after I asked him,” his father said. “Something smells great.”
“Heather was gracious enough to make dinner for all of us,” Simon explained.
His father’s face fell. “You didn’t tell me that Heather would be here.”
“I didn’t think I had to, Dad,” Simon said. He didn’t want to be so blunt, but he really didn’t see why he had to warn his father about having his girlfriend over. As much as he wanted Heather to get along with his dad, it wouldn’t be fair to expect her to do all the heavy lifting. She had been supportive all day, even asking Simon to focus more on his father’s safety than on hers. Even if she might not like his dad, she had still cared about his safety. His father was going to have to put in some the work, too, if this new living arrangement was going to work.
“Oh, I meant nothing by it,” his father said, immediately contrite. “Something sure smells good.”
Heather appeared and waved at his father. “I made mac and cheese for everyone.”
“Where did you get that?” Simon asked, pointing at the oven mitt she was wearing.
She smiled. “In one of the drawers in your kitchen. Would you like something to eat, Onslow?”
His father nodded. “I would. Thanks, Heather.”
Simon helped Heather set up the dining table, and soon they were all sitting down to eat. “So, why don’t you get me up to speed on all this,” his father said. “Should we be worried?”
He explained the events of the past day, with Heather helping to fill in some of the gaps. First they told his dad about the online threats and then gave a detailed account of the threatening phone call Heather had gotten while they had consulted with Dover’s security head.
“Is there any way to find out who called?” his father asked. “I don’t understand technology like you do, son, but isn’t there a way to trace the call?”
“The security head took Heather’s phone to do that, but I got a text from him about an hour ago and things don’t look promising.” Simon sighed. “I have my theories about who’s behind this, though.”
His father took a bite of his food. “Sounds like a prank to me.”
“That’s what I thought at first, but the call was terrifying,” Heather piped in.
“So, what are your theories?” his dad asked.
“I still think the documentary crew is behind it,” he responded. “They have the most to gain from creating this kind of drama. Their first day of shooting is next week and the beefed-up security would just help their narrative.”
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“Sounds nuts if you ask me,” his father muttered.
Heather shook her head. “Simon has an antagonistic relationship with the press. He’ll always suspect them.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” Simon said firmly. “Anyway, I sent a message to the security head and told him to keep this under wraps. If the documentary producers really are the ones behind this, keeping the news about that phone call to ourselves is the right play here. If we keep the call a secret, the producers won’t be able to talk about the call without exposing that they know about it somehow.”
“That makes sense,” she conceded. “Just remember that if we keep the call out of the press, you can’t go around and act like you’re angry with the producers over it.”
Simon shrugged. “It’s not like I have a particularly friendly relationship with them.”
“True, but you promised to give them a chance,” she reminded him.
He sighed again. “I did. And I do stick to my promises.”
“I still think it’s a prank,” he father said. “Some yahoos hiding behind a computer screen.”
“Maybe, but I’m not taking any risks,” Simon said. “Which is why I’d rather you didn’t come to the board dinner next week, Dad.”
His father looked at him, taken aback. “Why? Because some crazy people made a phone call? I’m no coward, Simon. Besides, I want to see you on your big night.”
“I’m sure you do, but what if the threat is real?” Simon folded his arms. “I can’t put you in that kind of danger.”
“If you don’t want me there you can just say it, son,” his father said icily. “Say it instead of hiding behind this.” He threw his hands up in frustration, his narrowed gaze sliding to Heather. “Did she put you up to this? This sounds like something she would come up with.”
Simon held up his hands, doing his level best to keep the peace before this disagreement got out of control. “No, she didn’t. Yes, she thought that I needed to focus on protecting you, but she didn’t suggest it for selfish reasons. She’s concerned about your safety, Dad, and so am I.”
