by Sophie Blue
“That my dear, is love,” she says, with a sigh of contentment, before pulling back to take another sip of her tea. Then she launches into her plans for another fundraiser, talking animatedly. The joy she gets from her charity work is admirable.
I laughed off her love comment, but it sobered me. It isn’t love, is it? Do I love my boss?
Chapter 22
Jackson
The last couple of days have been stressful as hell, trying to organise Mia’s surprise without her knowing. I spend every minute I’m not working with her, so I had to make the calls while I was at work in between meetings.
She hasn’t mentioned the fact that today is her birthday, but I remember seeing it on her driving licence when I had her put on the insurance of one of my cars. Hardly surprising that memory has stayed with me considering how much of a fight she put up about it. I’m pouring two cups of coffee when I hear her make her way into the kitchen.
“Morning,” she yawns, looking adorable in her lilac ‘Coffee first, adult later’ PJs. She pulls her unruly bed hair into a messy ponytail. “You’re up early.”
Smiling, I pass her a cup of hot coffee and say, “Happy Birthday.”
She looks at me in surprise, taking her mug from my hand.
“How did you know?” Taking a sip of her coffee and smiling, she looks up at me waiting for my answer.
“I am a man of many means.” I wink, leading her to the dining table and pulling a chair out for her to sit in like a gentleman.
Sitting down she looks at the breakfast I have laid out for her. Smiling up at me, she says, “This looks amazing. Room service?”
Laughing, I say, “Are you implying I couldn’t have made this myself?”
“That is exactly what I’m implying. I know you, Mr. Carrington. This is beyond your kitchen skills.” Giggling, she takes another sip of coffee and sighs happily.
“Busted. I had one of the staff run across to the bakery I know you love and pick up some of your favourite pastries,” I admit, sitting down at the table with her.
“Thank you. This is amazing,” she says, and I’d do it every day if it meant seeing that beautiful smile stretching across her face.
“You’re welcome. Happy Birthday.” Handing her the plate of pastries, I watch as she takes her time selecting a couple of her favourites.
We eat in a comfortable silence for a little bit before I say, “So, I didn’t know what to get you for your birthday. Instead, I have something planned for today. We both have the day off. You need to be ready to leave in an hour.”
Stopping with a pain au chocolat halfway to her mouth, she says, “You didn’t need to get me anything, Jackson. You’ve already done too much for me. Where are we going?”
Motioning zipping my lips shut, I say, “Finish your breakfast. We can grab a coffee to go before we leave.”
She looks at me in frustration but nods and continues to demolish her pastry selection.
An hour later, we are ready to go. With her travel mug loaded with coffee and her bag over her shoulder, Mia stands by the door looking as stunning as ever. She’s wearing black leggings and a royal blue dress over the top. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she has put a small amount of makeup on, which only enhances her natural beauty. This woman blows me away.
“You ready?” I ask, smiling as I grab my keys. I really hope she likes my present, I spent ages thinking of what the perfect gift for her would be.
“Yep! No driver today?” she jokes and I just smile.
“No. Just us today.” Grinning, I take her hand and lead her from the penthouse. Once we are in the elevator, I turn to face her. Running a finger over her bottom lip, I say, “You know, this is the first day I’ve taken off of work in as long as I can remember.”
“Really?” she asks, surprise lacing her voice.
“Yeah. I’m pretty work driven, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Chuckling, I smile at her. “It’s kind of an unspoken rule of mine, no personal days.”
“I noticed, boss man,” she jokes, leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on my lips. “Thank you for breaking your no time off rule for me.”
“I’d break all the rules for you,” I say honestly. Leaning down and taking her lips in mine. She tastes of pastries and Mia, and it’s a heady combination. All too quickly the elevator comes to a stop and she pulls back with a contented sigh.
As the door opens, the underground car park comes into view. Taking her hand, I lead her to my black Bugatti Veyron and open the passenger door for her. Looking up at me as she slides in, she says, “A tad ostentatious, isn’t it?”
I grin. “A boy has to have some toys.” Shutting her door, I make my way around to my side and get in, starting the engine and loving the purr.
“I’m guessing this is one of your favourites?” she asks, gesturing to the car.
“Sweetheart, this is one of everyone’s favourites. It can do over 250 mph,” I brag, rubbing the leather steering wheel in affection.
“But what’s the point in that? There are speed limits everywhere. You’ll never get to drive it that fast,” she argues, perplexed by my love for this incredible machine.
“But you could if you wanted to. It’s the knowledge that you have all of this power at your fingertips, even if you choose not to use it.”
“Ah, so you’re a control freak,” she jokes, nodding like it makes perfect sense.
“Only in the bedroom,” I say with a wink, laughing when her face flushes a beautiful shade of pink.
Chapter 23
Mia
As we pull up to another huge hotel, Jackson jumps out handing his keys to a young valet and coming over to help me out of his flashy car.
“You’re trusting him to drive your baby?” I ask, joking. The valet looks like all of his Christmases have come at once.
“I’m trying not to think about it,” he admits through gritted teeth and I laugh as I take his hand.
This place is huge. Walking through the entrance, I’m mesmerized by the black and gold theme. Huge golden chandeliers hang from the ceiling and the floor is black marble. Jackson leads me through to the back, where there is a woman waiting for us.
“Mr. Carrington. Pleasure to meet you. Everything is set up through here, I’ll show you to your table,” she says, leading us through what I assume is a restaurant although it is completely empty at the moment.
I spot the table set for two as we round a corner. With a vase of pink roses in the middle and a fresh pot of coffee with two mugs, I smile. Jackson pulls out my chair for me and I sit down. He slides into the seat right beside me and says to the woman, “Can we have two glasses of water please?”
“Of course,” she says, taking her leave.
“This place is beautiful,” I say in earnest. Taking in the high ceiling and extravagant décor. It seems a little surreal to be the only two people in such a large place.
“It’s one of the most popular cake tasting venues in the country,” he says, with a nod. My head swings around to look at him.
“We’re cake tasting?” I squeal in delight, bouncing in my seat.
Laughing he says, “We are indeed. I figured since cake is your favourite thing in the world, it was a necessity to eat copious amounts of it on your birthday.”
Smiling, I lean forward and press a kiss to his lips. “Cake is one of my favourite things in the world.”
He smiles at that and kisses me back, before pulling away as the woman returns with a jug of water and two glasses. Setting them down on the table she says, “Are you ready to begin?”
“Yes, thank you,” Jackson confirms. I’m so excited! I get to try lots of different flavours of cake, with the most amazing man on the planet. Could this day get any better?
A handful of waiters walk into the room holding various plates with slices of cakes on. Setting them all down on the table in front of us, one of them runs through the flavours.
“We have chocolate fudge, lemon drizzle, coffee and walnut, re
d velvet, pineapple and rum, carrot, banana and praline, and finally, espresso with white chocolate icing. If you want any more of any of the cakes, just ask. We’ll leave you to your tasting.”
“Thank you,” Jackson says as they take their leave. Turning to look at me, he chuckles at my excited expression. I can feel myself practically vibrating with excitement in my seat, I must look ridiculous.
“This is amazing!! Look at all of this cake!” I say, like a kid in a sweet shop. “I have no idea where to start, but you can bet your Bugatti I will be asking for seconds.”
Laughing, he passes me a plate and I reach out for a slice of coffee and walnut cake. One of my favourites, you can’t go far wrong with something that is flavoured with coffee. I lift a slice onto my plate and offer him the other slice which he gladly takes.
Lifting my fork, I look over at him with an excited smile. The moment the fluffy concoction touches my tongue I moan in pleasure. It is perfect. Light, fluffy and filled with caffeine. This is the best birthday ever!
“This may have been a mistake,” Jackson says from beside me, interrupting my cake buzz.
“What? Why?”
“Because if I have to spend all day hearing you moan like that every time you take a bite, it’s going to be torture,” he groans, putting his napkin over his lap and making me giggle.
“I promise to show you how grateful I am when we get home,” I whisper, with a salacious smile on my lips. He leans down to kiss me, biting my lip and eliciting a different kind of moan from me.
“That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard,” Jackson huffs at me, licking some chocolate icing from his lips and making me lose my train of thought for a moment.
We’re three slices down and I’m trying to explain my cake theory to him.
“It’s true! There is a cake for every single occasion. Give me an occasion.”
He thinks for a moment. “A christening or baptism.”
Answering without hesitation, I say, “Carrot cake. Carrots illustrate growth. Complements the occasion perfectly.”
He snorts, shaking his head in disbelief but gives me another. “Birthdays.”
“Victoria sponge. It is regal sounding, reminds you of Queen Victoria. Something you would pick to celebrate with.”
“Valentine’s Day.”
“Red velvet cake. It sounds sexy and red is a romantic colour,” I reply, smiling at him while he shakes his head in exasperation.
“Seriously. There is a cake for every occasion. Chocolate cake for apologies, it’s hard to say no to an apology delivered with a chocolate cake. Marble cake for an engagement party. Perfect blend of two flavours, just like a marriage is. Lemon drizzle cake for bon voyage parties. Shows their zest for life.”
“Ok, what about for a funeral,” he says, looking at me with a smug grin like he’s got me stumped.
“Pineapple upside down cake. It’s a frown in a cake! Perfect for the occasion,” I reply without any hesitation.
At this we both crack up. I swear I see tears in his eyes. I don’t remember ever having so much fun. This really has been the best birthday ever.
I am officially a cake. I have eaten so many varieties, I think I am now officially 70% cake. You could serve me at a wedding and no one would bat an eyelid.
I groan as I take another sip of coffee, looking at Jackson. He seems to be feeling the same, judging by the way he’s resting back in his seat, with a hand on his stomach.
“That was incredible. But I think I’m beat,” I admit, on a huff, thankful I wore elasticated leggings today.
“You and me both,” he sighs, looking over at the waiter who comes striding over with purpose.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?” he asks, looking between us. We must look a sorry sight, with our hands on our stomachs and defeat on our faces.
“I’ll have a slice of each to go please,” Jackson confirms, smiling at me. I raise a brow at him.
“You want more cake?” I ask, impressed. Taking a sip of my coffee while we wait for the cake, I tap my fingers on the table.
“I was hoping to spread some of that coffee icing over you when we get home,” he whispers into my ear, causing goose bumps to rise over my skin.
Chapter 24
Mia
Lying in bed next to Jackson is a pretty damn good way to finish off my perfect birthday. After eating an insane amount of cake, it seemed sensible to spend the rest of the day attempting to work it off.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to order a takeaway? We’ve literally eaten nothing but pastries and cake today,” Jackson says, stroking an arm down my back while I lay on his chest.
“And your point is?” I ask, thinking that sounds like the perfect diet. He laughs at my comment and rolls us over so he is leaning over me.
“I need to feed you something more substantial than that,” he says, leaning down to capture my lips and making me swoon at how he wants to take care of me. This man really is too good to be true. Moving my hand, I cup his growing erection, enjoying the groan that comes from him.
“This feels pretty substantial to me,” I tease, squeezing slightly. “Maybe you could feed me this?”
With a scandalous grin, he crawls up until his knees are either side of my head. He holds his cock in one hand and uses the other to balance himself against the headboard.
“Is this what you want, Birthday Girl?” he teases, running his tip across my lips. I flick my tongue out to lick him and moan at the taste.
“Yes,” I moan, with no shame whatsoever. He grins down at me and pulls his cock away from my eager lips.
“Yes, what?” he teases again, stroking himself in front of me and making my mouth water.
“Yes, please!” I beg, leaning forward to swipe the tip with my tongue again and enjoying the taste of him.
“Open wide,” he instructs, before guiding himself past my lips. Relaxing my jaw, I take him all the way in and moan. I love having him in my mouth. Moving my hands to his thighs, I grip onto him as if in fear that he’ll take away my birthday treat.
Jackson starts to pull back before thrusting back into my waiting mouth. Using my tongue, I massage the underside of his cock as he slowly pulls himself out again.
“I’m going to fuck your mouth now,” he tells me, struggling to keep it together and I love seeing him like this. Nodding eagerly, I open my mouth wider and he grins as he thrusts all the way in, hitting the back of my throat and making me gag. With both hands now on the headboard, he thrusts into my mouth with abandon. I relax my throat and take everything he has to give. The room is filled with his heavy breathing and the embarrassing slurping noises coming from me. It’s messy and frenzied but it is still one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen. The successful, controlled CEO losing it because of me.
With a curse and a moan, he thrusts into my mouth once more and holds himself there as he empties himself down the back of my throat. I swallow everything he has to give me, and lick my lips when he pulls out.
Looking down at me, he’s breathing heavily but has a smile on his face that makes me feel like a queen.
“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
Yes, yes it is.
Chapter 25
Jackson
After an amazing long weekend spent with Mia, I’m back in the office, catching up on paperwork. I can tell Paul is pissed with me. He’s been stomping around all morning. A guy takes one day off in God knows how long, and this is the reaction he gets. You’d think we were married!
As Paul thunders into the room, I tell him to close the door behind him. He does so with an unnecessary amount of force and sits down in front of my desk, folding his arms like an irritated child.
“What’s your problem?” I ask, I’m not working with an atmosphere, this is ridiculous. He needs to pull himself together. We’re adults for fuck’s sake.
“You took off on Friday. Left me to deal with the merger by myself. You never take time off. What’s the deal? Some new girl is on the sc
ene and you’d rather be screwing her than expanding the business?” he fumes, waving his hands around in front of him to illustrate his exasperation.
“Firstly, I took one day off. All the work for the merger was done weeks ago. I knew you could handle everything for the meeting, it was just a formality. And I’m not screwing some girl.” I roll my eyes at his outburst.
“She’s a gold digger, man. You’ve got to see that? What, she just comes out of nowhere and all of a sudden is with you twenty-four-seven?” He sneers.
“She’s not a…”
“I swear if you throw everything we’ve worked for away over an easy lay, I’ll…”
“She’s my housekeeper, for fuck’s sake. Not a gold digger. She works for me. I took her out for her birthday. End of story. Now can we stop gossiping like a couple of teenage girls and get back to business please?” I ask, furious at having him question me and my loyalty to my business. And even more furious that he referred to Mia as a gold digger. Who the fuck does he think he is?
“Housekeeper?” he asks, tilting his head in confusion.
“Yes, she was in a spot of bother. I offered her a job and a place to live. End of story.”
He nods, finally understanding what I’m saying and proceeds to give me the latest update on the merger.
Chapter 26
Mia
After finishing loading the washing machine, I make my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on. I’m gasping for a coffee. Reaching for a mug out of the cupboard next to the oven, I hear someone knock on the door. I’m not expecting anyone, but if they made it up to this floor, they must be one of Jackson’s friends.
