by Ali Parker
"Hey. What's going on with you? Leon and your mom giving you hell again?" She reached across the table and brushed her fingers over my hand.
"No." I let out a soft sigh and shrugged. "Matt wants me to move in with him soon."
"Oh. Wow." She smiled. "Wait. Why do you look so sad about this? This is great news, right?"
"Yeah, but it's a lot of pressure. It's the next step, and we just got back together after falling apart."
"That's part of being in a long-term relationship. You know that."
"No, I don't." I picked up a piece of bread and dragged it through the Alfredo sauce on my plate. "My only long-term relationship didn't work out, remember? He just up and decided to leave. As if I wasn't worth anything."
"Because he was a jack wagon. You know this."
I smiled at her silly word. "He was that."
"Matt's a great guy." She took the last piece of bread from the basket and gave me a look. "I've known you for most of my life. Something else is going on. Spill."
"No." I reached for my wine glass, but she got to it first and downed the red wine in it.
"Yes. Let me help you. I'm worried about finding someone worth taking my panties off for. It's not that big of a deal. You, on the other hand, are drowning in something. Spill. Now."
"More wine?" I asked the waiter as he stopped by.
"And more bread?" Lanie gave him a sweet smile.
"Who could refuse the two of you?" He winked at us before walking off.
"Lots of people." Lanie snorted. "Come on. I want to help you. I love you, and you're hurting."
"Mitch was trying to overbid Matt at his art opening at De Luca. He was doing it to be a dick."
"Wait... overbid Matt? Was Matt bidding on his own art?" Her lip lifted up in a cocky smile. "That's such a Bryant thing to do."
"Yeah, it is, but it's because it was the naked picture of me. Matt doesn't like Mitch, so he was willing to do just about anything to not let Mitch have the painting."
"So what happened? Did Matt get the painting?"
"No. Some young billionaire guy did."
"Can I get his digits? I'm your best friend. That should get me some points somewhere."
I chuckled. "Stop it. You're going to find Mr. Right. I promise."
"Let's not go back to me. It's obvious that my future husband got lost, and refuses to stop and ask for direction." We shared a chuckle. It was Lanie's go-to joke about being single. "So what happened?"
"Mitch wasn't going to let up, and it was so tense in the room. I walked outside and texted Mitch, telling him to stop that shit. He said he would on one condition."
"Oh no. This does not sound like it's going to end well."
"That I go to dinner and have drinks with him."
Her eyes brightened. "Oh, nice! That's easy."
"And fuck him."
"What?" Her voice rose as she leaned toward me, whispering so loud it could have been a yell. "Has he lost his fucking mind? You can't do that. It would ruin everything. It would-" Realization rolled over her face. "Oh, shit. You said you would do it."
Tears filled my eyes. I wasn't a crier, and yet the situation with Mitch and Matt had me crying all the damn time.
"I didn't know what else to do. I just wanted the bidding war to end and for Matt to feel like he'd won. I didn't want him to lose his pride or his shining moment that night."
"What are you going to do?" She was ignoring me for the most part, or maybe she was lost in the brevity of the situation.
"I'm going to tell him no." I shrugged. "But you wanted to know what was wrong and-"
"No. That's not going to work. Go to Damon."
"What? Why not Matt?"
She gave me a sassy look. "Be for real here. Matt will get a gun and end up in jail for Manslaughter. Get Damon involved."
"And look like an idiot or worst yet, a slut?"
"Seriously? He thinks the world of you."
"I don't know." I glanced up and offered our waiter a smile as he delivered us each another glass of wine. "I'm going to go to an event on Saturday with Mitch and try and talk some sense into him. If that doesn't work, I'll go to Damon."
"Take your own car and meet him at the event. Make sure you have people around you when you walk out. Fuck. Take me with you."
"That's a thought." I leaned back in my chair and nursed my wine. "You think there is a better way out of this?"
"I don't know. I want to, but damn... this is like TV drama bullshit."
"Right?" I let out a long sigh. "I'll do this and see what works. I'm not willing to mess up things with Matt, but I'm not sure which would do more damage; telling him what I did, or just doing it and hoping he never finds out."
"You could sleep with Mitch? I mean, you could actually go through with it?"
"No. Not in a million years."
"Then it seems like you have your backup plan."
"And what if it doesn't' work and he leaves me, Lanie?"
"Then you move on." She narrowed her eyes. "You're a beautiful woman, and you'll find someone else. You deserve the best. If Matthew can't see that's what you are and that you were trying to sacrifice for his pride and wellbeing, then fuck him."
She made it sound so easy, but it wasn't.
Not in the slightest.
Chapter 7
Matt
"Good morning, Sir." A bright-eyed guy with a big smile greeted me as I walked into a flower shop around the corner from Erica's apartment. She'd spent the night at her place after going out with Lanie the night before, and I wanted to see her. Like now.
"Morning." I pointed to some red and yellow tulips. "I'll take a dozen of each of those in some of that pretty paper you guys have."
There was a box of pastries sitting on the counter beside him. My stomach growled as I eyeballed them.
"You bet." He chuckled as my stomach protested loudly. "You want one of those? My mother bought too many as usual."
"I'd love one." I walked over and glanced back over my shoulder. "Any of them off limits?"
"I love the cinnamon rolls, but I'm sure she included several in there."
"Yeah. There's four." I took one of the apple fritters and flipped the lid to the box over. Tina's Bakery. A groan left me as I let the sugar and apples melt over my tongue. "Wow. That's fantastic."
"Right? Tina is a great person too. You should go by there. She's just down the street two blocks. You make a left on Washington Avenue. Her shop looks like a hole in the wall, but she's an incredible baker."
"Obviously." I chuckled as I held up the pastry. "I'll head over there after this."
"Good. Tell her I sent you."
I paid the guy, took the bouquet of flowers and thanked him before leaving. Erica deserved to be treated like a princess, and damn if I wasn't going to do it. I checked the time on the dashboard of my car as I drove over to her apartment, loaded with flowers and sweet treats.
"Hells bells." She'd be leaving any minute if she hadn't already gone. I'd put in a call to Joan earlier that morning to let her know that Erica wasn't feeling well and would be out for the day.
I pulled up about the time she was pulling out. After hitting the horn, I parked and got out, grabbing my goodies and walking toward her car with a cheesy-ass grin on my face. She was beyond beautiful, everything I wanted in my life and then some.
"Hey. What a great surprise." She spoke as the window rolled down.
"Oh yeah? I got you a few things. Come inside and change. You're going to have a hard time hiking in heels."
"Hiking?" She motioned for me to wait a sec as she rolled up the window, turned the car off and got out. "I have several meetings this morning. Can we go on Sunday maybe?"
"Nope. I told Joan to move everything, and she did." I extended the flowers to her. "These reminded me of you. Bright and beautiful."
"Awwww, Matt. You're going to spoil me." She took them and moved up to give me a hug.
I leaned down and stole a kiss. "Spoiled women get s
pankings. So it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned."
She laughed. "Is that Tina's?" She reached for the box, snatched it and walked back to the apartment like I'd disappeared into thin air.
"Yes?" I chuckled and followed her, letting my eyes run down the long line of her back to the swell of her ass. My body woke up as it always did around her. "You look beautiful."
"You think so?" She glanced over her shoulder as she worked to get the lock in the door and balance everything.
"Give me that." I bumped her hip with mine and took the keys from her, opening the door and moving back so she could go in.
"You really called Joan and took care of everything?" She set the bakery box down and walked to the kitchen with her flowers.
"I did. I wanted to go hiking and spend the night in the mountains tonight. There's supposed to be a meteor shower. I need a beautiful woman to snuggle up next to while I watch it." I followed after her, greedy to get my hands on her.
"And if I wasn't available?"
"Then I'd have to ask Lanie." I chuckled as she gasped and swatted at me.
"I knew you found her attractive!"
"Not at all, baby." I took the vase from her and filled it with water. "I don't see anyone but you. It's been that way for a long time."
She wrapped her arms around me from behind and kissed the back of my neck. "Same."
Chill bumps raced down my legs and arms. "That feels good. Do it again."
The sound of her sweet laughter filled my ears, calming my soul and sending me into a happy place I'd only recently experienced because of her.
"Did you get everything we need for the trip yet?" She put her flowers in the vase and plucked it from my hands, depositing it in the middle of her kitchen table.
"Like what? I have you. Me. Pastries. Yep, we're good." I offered her a goofy grin.
"That sounds about right then." She moved past me, reaching out and brushing her fingers by my cock. "Looks like you have something for me to enjoy on the ride up too."
My heart nearly stopped in my chest. "He's yours anytime, baby girl. Play with him or me as much and as often as you like."
"So hot," she whispered and walked to her room. I thought about going after her and having a little bit of fun, but I knew I wanted to spend the day in the mountains with her. If I got her to the bedroom and stripped her down, it was game over. We'd be naked and sweaty by lunchtime and asleep by two.
She walked out a few minutes later in a part of shorts and a double layered tank top. Her breasts caught my attention first, and I reached out to caress her as she moved closer.
"Fuck, you turn me on, Erica Hall." I reached up and cupped her face, not quite sure she appreciated me fondling her every chance I got. She was just so damn sexy.
"The feeling is mutual." She ran her hands around my waist and squeezed my butt as she lifted up and kissed me a few times.
I deepened the kiss, sharing a soft groan with her as we pressed tightly against one another. I broke the kiss, knowing we were headed back down the 'no-trip' path yet again.
"Let's get out of here." I kissed her quickly before releasing her. "What time do you need to be back on Sunday?"
An odd expression moved across her face. "I need to be back by tomorrow afternoon."
"Aw, really? Damn. I was hoping we would have the whole weekend, baby."
"I wish I could." She walked to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, tossing one to me. "I have an art event I have to go to tomorrow night with a few people from the office. Nothing big, but I have to be there."
"Can't I just call Joan and sweet talk her into canceling for you?" I smiled at her.
"Nope, but good try." She popped my butt as she walked to the door. "Come on. Let's go have some fun while we can."
"Consider me all in." I grabbed the box of treats and took the bag she had in her hand. "I'll drive. You just relax and try to enjoy yourself, alright?"
"I like the sound of that. Should we take Zek with us?"
“No. I’ll text Lanie to come over tonight and hang out with him for a little while. He’ll be good until the morning. We’ll come back early.”
“Sounds good, baby.”
I had a million questions I wanted to ask her, but all of them were prying. I knew something was going on with her, but the mature thing to do was to back the fuck off and wait until she came to me.
She will open up to me, right?
"You still with me?" She walked to her side of the car and offered me a sweet smile.
"Oh yeah. You're stuck. I'm here forever." I got in the car, took a cinnamon roll and handed her the box. "The guy at the flower shop said these were the best ever."
"He was right. I love those." She snatched mine and took a big bite as I stared, opened-mouthed at her.
"You're going to pay for that."
She took another bite and tried to talk around her mouthful. "How exactly?"
"I'm going to fill up your pretty mouth with something else."
She moaned and nibbled around the edges of the pastry, her cheeks slam-packed with a cinnamon roll. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I laughed and started the car.
"You're everything to me. You know that?"
After licking her fingers clean and wiping them on the leg of my pants, she leaned over and kissed the side of my neck.
"I'm so glad to hear it." She brushed her nose down my neck and squeezed my cock softly before nipping at my ear. "You're everything I want in my life, Matthew."
"Then marry me." I turned and slipped my hand into her hair, holding her in place as I made love to her mouth. I was teasing to some degree. I'd be proposing next year in the spring time, but the words just poured out of my mouth.
"Now?" She kissed me again and moved back into her seat.
"Next year?" I put the car in reverse and breathed in deeply, the scent of her perfume and shampoo the perfect combination to drive me wild.
"Count on it, Mister." She reached into the box and handed me a cinnamon roll. "Here. Enjoy, but make sure you savor it."
I ate it in three bites. "Like that?"
"Matt!" She popped me in the chest. "You didn't even chew the damn thing."
"Alright. You're right." I glanced over at her, falling a little more in love. "Give me another one, and I'll take my time with it."
She handed another one over. Crazy girl. I shoved the whole thing in my mouth and chewed until my jaw hurt. The sound of her laughing and throwing a fit over my lack of finesse when it came to enjoying sweets was music to my ears.
"You didn't taste that! How could you?"
I licked my lips and my fingertips and growled. "I tasted it. It was the second best thing I've ever had in my life." I pulled us onto the freeway, headed out of town for our overnight getaway.
"And the best?" She reached over and ran her nails up my thigh.
"You. Without a doubt." I gripped her hand and pulled it up to my lips, kissing her fingers one at a time. "I plan on savoring every inch of you tonight if you'll let me."
"You're not going to hear any type of refusal from me." She leaned back and let out a soft sigh. "Hey." She glanced my way. "Do you have your first art pad? I was just thinking about this last night in bed."
"Wait. You thought about me drawing as a ten-year-old boy as you laid in bed last night?" I shook my head. "Fuck me. I've done something wrong."
She swatted me again. "Or something very right. Do you have it?"
"I actually do. It's in my big green bag in the back seat. It's red with my initials on the front."
She turned and leaned back to get it. I ran my hand over her ass and tried not to wreck the car.
"Really?" She dropped back into her seat and gave me a look.
"Um, yeah, really. You put that in my face, and it's going to get some attention."
"Good to know," she mumbled as she flipped through the pages slowly.
I turned on the radio and let myself slip into vacation mode as she lau
ghed, ooh'd and ahh'd at the pages.
"That's my favorite one." I pointed over to a picture of a little brown dog. "That's Buster. He was my first and only pet."
"Oh. Kent and your mom didn't let you get one after him?"
"No, they would have been fine with it. Damon sneezed his ass off from the minute I brought the dog home. I had him for a week, and then he was gone." I gave her a funny look. "He almost always got his way."
"And yet you love him."
"Yeah, and I wouldn't change him for anything."
"He and Bethany are doing okay?"
"They're better. They're getting there. He's not an easy guy to deal with. He comes with a lot of baggage. I guess we all do."
"That's the truth." She finished looking at the pictures and put the album back into the bag before dropping down in her seat and giving me a quizzical look. "Any cops around here?"
"Not that I've seen. Why?" My breath caught in my chest as she unbuckled and leaned over the console, working quickly to pull my dick from my pants.
"Because I want you." She gave me a wicked smile and leaned down to run her tongue along my length. The sweet guy in me melted away.
I slid my hand into her hair and gripped tightly. "Take every inch of it, Erica. I want to feel your nose pressed to my skin."
She moaned and obeyed beautifully.
Chapter 8
Erica
Matt was completely out of it by the time we reached the cabin. I'd offered ten times to take the wheel and let him get a nap, but he wouldn't let me. We walked into the cabin, and he motioned that he was going to check out the bedroom.
When he didn't come back twenty minutes later, I realized where he was. Sound asleep on the bed. Poor thing.
A smile lifted my lips as I stood beside the bed and watched him sleep. He had no idea how handsome he was. I knelt and kissed his forehead before whispering into his ear.
"I'm going to town to get groceries. Be right back."
He grumbled something and turned over, his tone that of a pissy teenager. It was too cute. How hard it must have been to live in Damon's shadow. I was grateful that I only had an older brother and not a sister to be compared too, though I wasn't too sure Kent was the comparing kind. He seemed to enjoy and appreciate both of his boys for who they were. It was one of the reasons I liked him so much as a boss. He was supportive and caring toward all of us.
