Conklin's Blueprints

by Brooke Page

  He hadn’t brought up Ashlynn yet, and frankly, I was too emotionally drained to open up that can of worms. For the most part I believed him, mainly because he looked like he wanted to rip someone’s head off when he spun around. And it did look like he was uncomfortable and pushed her away the moment Connor and I walked in. Plus I knew Ashlynn, and she would make a move, even if Tyler clearly wasn’t feeling it.

  I didn’t even notice when we pulled into the basement ramp of Union Square. Before I knew it Tyler was at my door helping me out into the elevator. The elevator made it to the top floor and Tyler opened the door for me. I stood still in the kitchen, wrapping my arms around my waist. I felt so broken and vulnerable and scared. Did I just mess up every relationship I had?

  Tyler took his coat from me and stood silently in front of me. “Why don’t you go take a warm shower? I can make us something to eat? Start the fire? We could watch a movie? Or do you want to just go to sleep? I will sleep on the couch, and you can have my bed. Whatever you want, Becca.”

  I stared silently at the ground, trying to wrap my head around what he was asking.

  Tyler bounced a little as he waited for me to answer, clearly antsy with my silence. “Come on, let’s go upstairs and get you changed first,” he said, putting his hand on my back urging me up the spiral staircase.

  My steps were slow and methodical, my heels making the stairs extra hard to climb. Tyler kept his hand on my back, patiently following me. I sat on the edge of his bed and crossed my arms. I was finally aware of how cold I was. Tyler bent down on his knees in front of me, pulling my foot to his thigh, taking off one of my heels.

  “I’m sorry tonight was such a mess,” he mumbled, unstrapping the red leather that laced around my foot.

  “It wasn’t entirely your fault,” I whispered, hugging myself closer. “I never should have gone in the first place.”

  Tyler set my foot down and moved my other foot on his thigh. “No, I never should have believed Ashlynn. What a lame excuse. Why would she bring the blueprints? Which I never should have done by the way… I’m sorry about that. I was just trying to help.”

  I shook my head at him, “Ashlynn is manipulative and malicious. I’m not surprised by her attempt.”

  He cocked his head as he put my other heel down, keeping my foot on his thigh. He ran his hand up the back of my calf, sending shivers through my body. His eyes looked pleading, his face inches from my knee. “Does that mean you believe me? I didn’t touch her. I only want you, Becca.” My eyes softened and watered at the same time. I did believe him, but we still had a hurdle we had to cross.

  His lips slowly parted as he brought them to my knee, kissing it tenderly while looking at me through his eyelashes.

  I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Feeling his warm mouth on my cold skin sent shivers throughout my body. He closed his eyes and softly nuzzled my knee. It had been so long since we had touched each other. “I believe you,” I whispered, opening my wet eyes to look down at him.

  Tyler stood up and brought me with him, pulling me to his chest. I lolled against him, too tired and drained to refute being in his arms that felt so warm and inviting. He held me so tight, nuzzling his head into my neck.

  He pulled his head back to look at me, “I never should have said what I said to RJ. I’m so sorry.”

  “How am I supposed to know you don’t really feel that way? We barely go out. We don’t hang out with anyone else,” I croaked, wiping my eyes.

  He closed his eyes in pain, “You’re right, and I didn’t see that at first. But I…I want so much more with you than what I told RJ.”

  “Did you ever think that if you just told him how you felt, he would back off?” I asked.

  “RJ and Ashlynn are a lot alike,” he whispered, staring down at me with sad eyes.

  Too tired to be frustrated, I closed my eyes and started to walk into the bathroom to run a shower. I was cold and done for the evening. I reached for my zipper on my dress and shimmied out of it. I saw Tyler watching me from the door frame through the mirror. His eyes were heavy and fluttered as they swept down my body, his mouth in a thin line. I crossed my hands around my stomach and closed my eyes, wishing I had closed the door. He sighed and walked out of the door frame.

  I stripped from my undergarments and walked into the shower and cried. About five minutes in, the lights in the bathroom started to dim, and I slumped down to the floor, squeezing my knees to my chest. I was too tired to fight with Tyler if he was planning on joining me. But he never came in, and I continued to drown in my own tears. Once I felt like I couldn’t cry anymore, I reached up to shut the water off and opened the shower door. I noticed a fluffy towel was on the counter with one of Tyler’s Michigan T-shirts and a pair of my underwear. I forgot I still had clothes here and had previously wondered where that pair had gone. It was my favorite and Tyler’s too. I took my time drying off, patting my damp skin with the towel and slowly putting on the clothes Tyler had set out. I barely recognized myself as I looked in the mirror. My eyes were blotchy from crying and my hair was so dark, darker than it had ever been. It made my bloodshot eyes appear a brighter shade of blue, not as pale as they normally were.

  I walked out of the bathroom to find Tyler sitting on his bed. He had changed out of his black tux into gym shorts and a basic cotton white shirt. His eyes were heavy as they stared me down. I came over to the bed in front of him then put my arms around his neck, sinking into him. I didn’t know what we were anymore, and I didn’t know if we were going to be able to jump over the hurdle of his family, but I needed him. I had finally spilled all of my insecurities and stared my tormentors in their faces, spewing fire in their direction, and I felt like the worst person in the world because of it.

  He wrapped his hands around my thighs, forcing me to straddle him. He squeezed me so tight while he rubbed his nose into my neck. “Baby, I’ve missed you so much,” Tyler choked, pulling his head from my neck to try and look me in the face. “All I want is you, every inch of you; I will do anything to be with you. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you around RJ, but I do now,” he murmured so close to my lips. Tears were rolling down my cheeks again.

  “I will tell him, okay? I will tell him we are together and to stay the hell away from you.” His eyes were glassy. “I will bring you to Chicago and introduce you to my mom, because I know that is what I have to do to prove to you that this is real to me and that you’re not just some secret, just some woman who I only want for the sex. It has always been more.”

  He kissed my tears, moving slowly around my face then kissed the corner of my mouth, patiently waiting for me to move into him. I leaned back, feeling so exposed and stretched to my limit as I looked into his pleading eyes.

  “Talk to me,” he whispered with a heavy breath across my cheek.

  “Can we not talk? Will you just lay with me?” I asked softly, feeling tears fall from my eyes.

  “Of course,” he murmured, hesitating to let me go. He finally let me stand up and rushed to the bed, throwing the comforter back then reaching out his hand for me to come lay down. I crashed onto the bed, feeling like I had just dropped a hundred pound weight. I curled up on my side as Tyler wrapped the covers around me. He cautiously lay on top of the covers next to me.

  Why wasn’t he cuddling next to me under the covers?

  Then it registered what he had told me. He was meeting my demands and letting me into his life, making an effort to let me know that he was serious about being with me. He hadn’t said anything to his family yet, but told me he was ready to, and I didn’t give him any indication that I wanted him back. I hadn’t said more than a few words to him since we had come back to his place. Pushing everything else out of my mind, I pulled back the covers, insinuating I wanted him to come into the warmth with me.

  I watched him gulp as he climbed under the covers. I snuggled up to him, putting my hands on his chest. He let out a huge breath once I was satisfied with our closeness. He curled his arm underneath
my head and wrapped his other arm around my waist, making soft circles on my back with his palm.

  “Thank you,” I hummed into his chest. He pulled me closer, and I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck.

  “What are you thanking me for?” he asked.

  I grasped his shirt in my fist. “For coming after me tonight. For bringing me here. For holding me… when I haven’t given you the time of day the past month.” I shuddered, trying to fight back the ever urge to cry.

  He squeezed me tight, “Becca, I was an idiot. I deserved to be treated like that. But, I will make it better, I promise,” he said into my hair. “I should have followed you sooner, when you walked out of the elevator the first day, when you walked out of my office and ran into RJ. I never should have let you walk away. You ignoring me made me realize how I needed to learn that I could trust you, and now I can. I will probably always be on edge if you are alone with RJ, or whenever he flirts with you, but I know you wouldn’t ever touch him or anyone else. That is, if you don’t want anyone else…” He trailed off, his heart starting to pound against my hands.

  I pulled my head from his neck and finally brought my lips to his, giving him a slow and tender kiss. “You’re all I want,” I murmured against his parted mouth.

  Tyler took a sharp breath in and moved in to kiss me. At first it was sweet and delicate, but then became carnal. His lips were needy against mine as his hands tightened around my waist, pulling me so close I couldn’t move my hands from his chest. He plunged his tongue into my mouth, and I took it greedily. He rolled so I was underneath him, still taking my mouth with no reservations, showing me how much he missed my kiss.

  I tugged at his shirt with my fist, pulling it up so I could feel his skin that I had been dreaming about the past month. It was warm and smooth, causing me to groan while feeling the indents of his muscles under my fingertips. He grunted into my mouth as I stroked his hot skin. Tyler swiftly sat up on his knees, straddling me, taking his shirt off. My eyes grew big as I watched his abdomen flex and his biceps bulge as they moved out of his T-shirt. He threw his shirt on the floor then pulled me up with him, grabbing the hem of my shirt and yanking it over my head. I reached for his sides, urging him to come back down on top of me, but he fought my strength and pulled me up to his chest. I gasped at the feel of our bare skin finally meeting after the time we had spent apart. Tyler gripped my hips and rotated us so I was on top of him, pulling me down and holding me so tight it felt like our stomachs and chests were going to blend together as he devoured my mouth. My hands were tangled in his hair as his hands traveled down my back, grabbing just under his favorite black lace that just so happened to be riding up. He moaned and bit down on my lip as he flexed his hands over my skin causing my core to ache desperately for him.

  “I’ve missed you so much, Becca,” Tyler breathed, moving his mouth from my lips to my throat. I tugged on his hair as his vigorous intensity slowed on my neck, turning tender and languidly, as though he were savoring me and making up for lost time.

  I ground my hips down onto him, causing his grip to squeeze me harder, pushing me down onto him, moving his hips upward, meeting my assault. He moved his hands so they were beneath the fine black lace, urging me to rub my sex into him. The friction was driving me mad, and I wanted him inside of me. I slid down to his thighs, moving my trembling hands from his hair to his shorts, yanking them off, freeing all of his glory.

  I met Tyler’s eyes as I shifted so I could pull his shorts and boxers all the way off then trailed kisses from his knee past his hip to his stomach, causing my nipple to graze the tip of his fullness. He groaned and reached for my shoulders, suddenly sitting up, pulling me with him kissing me deeply. He loosely crossed his legs with me still straddling him and put his hands on my hips, pulling down my panties. I jumped off of to the side of him, helping to remove the black lace. Once I was rid of the lace, Tyler pulled me back onto his lap.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” he whispered across my lips. I did as he asked and felt unbelievably close to him. We were chest to chest, our eyes perfectly aligned. A shiver went through me as he ran his fingertips down my spine and back up to my face, never blinking or taking his gaze from me. We were so close, so intimate, as though all of our barriers had been dropped.

  With trembling hands I curled my fingers around his length, causing Tyler to let out a low hiss, lining him up so he could push into me. The warmth of his soft skin just barely pressing against my entrance caused me to take a sharp breath in. I removed my hand and rocked so he just barely entered my sex. Tyler moved his hands from my face, gripping my hips, slowly moving me down so he filled me completely. I brought my forehead to his as we sat like that, hardly moving, taking in the tranquility of our connection.

  Tyler snaked one arm around my waist while moving the other to the nape of my neck, holding me close to his chest. Our noses were inches apart when I opened my eyes. His blue green eyes were soft and hazy as they watched me. My mouth was hanging open from his exquisite fullness that was stretching me to the fullest. Just when I thought he couldn’t be any deeper inside me, he nudged his hips up, causing me to groan and roll my eyes back.

  “This is my favorite place to be,” he whispered, brushing my neck with his lips. “Look at me, Becca,” he said, pulling his lips from my neck, rubbing his nose against mine. I opened my eyes, and he pushed his hips up again, completely consuming me. I kept my eyes on him this time, watching his pupils dilate with his thrust. His mouth was hanging open just as mine was.

  I ran my nails up his back to his shoulders, feeling goose bumps form on his damp skin. He let out a shudder while fluttering his eyes, clearly fighting the urge to close them. I brought one hand to caress the side of his face, feeling so many emotions for Tyler Conklin. I wasn’t thinking about anyone else. I wasn’t worried if I had ruined all of my friendships. All that mattered was what Tyler thought, what we were sharing, what we were going to become. He moved his hands so they were cradling my face, his eyes staring intently right through me. We slowly rocked in unison, neither of us ready to give in to the nearing orgasms. We held each other’s gazes, letting one another know everything was going to be okay, that we were good, so good.

  After a long time, I couldn’t fight the craving for release and picked up my tempo. Tyler rocked into me, meeting my every thrust, still locking his eyes with mine, pressing his hands on my lower back, pushing into me at all the right angles. I tilted my hips upward, finding my sweet spot. My breathing changed, becoming more ragged as I put my hands on his chest. Tyler picked up on the angle I was trying to achieve and grabbed my ass, lifting higher, bringing me closer and closer to euphoria.

  “Let go, baby,” Tyler groaned, squeezing each cheek, digging his fingers into my skin.

  I let go, spiraling into oblivion, digging my nails into his shoulders. Tyler’s grip tightened as he dropped his head into my neck, grunting as he thrust once more into me, pulling me down on top of him as though we would mesh together.

  Our foreheads met as both of our shoulders shrugged, our chests heaving in unison. Tyler’s grip loosened as he brought his hands to my back, caressing my spine. I sighed as I flexed my fingers on his chest, feeling his heart pumping. He brought his hands back up to my face, giving me tender kisses on my forehead, eyes, cheeks, chin, every inch of skin he could find then finally kissed my lips.

  “Oh, Becca… I won’t mess this up again, I promise,” he said in between kisses.

  I grinned and wrapped my arms around him. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling the anxiety and guilt creep in from the earlier events at the museum. I squeezed him tighter, thankful that I at least still had Tyler. I knew I would have to find a way to make it up to Jamie and my mother, and I even had a soft spot still for Gage. None of them deserved to be called out as bluntly as I had done. I would focus on mending my wounds with them tomorrow. Tonight, I was going to focus on Tyler. I had him in my arms, and I wasn
’t going to let go. Not for a long time. He was my strength and my comfort, and most importantly, my future.

  Prologue for Conklin’s Foundation

  RJ Conklin

  I sat at my desk biting my nail, staring at the brick with pride on my desk. An RJ brick it was called. I invented it when I was 19. Some might say I was egotistical for naming it after myself, but it was a fucking brilliant idea. I didn’t tell anyone about it at first, kept it to myself to hide my personal remedies from Mary and my parents. Mary turned into a real bitch once she got pregnant with Nathan and got pissed that I would partake without her.

  I ran my finger along the edge of the brick, trying to find the small nub that would cause the concrete to slide open. It was a bitch to find, but that was the point. No one was supposed to know it opened but would think it was just a slab of cement. I finally found the nub and opened the far side, pulling out two pieces of paper.

  The first piece of paper was a note from my father, Robert Senior. It basically said he loved me, and that I needed to realize that family was what was important in life and that I needed to cherish my boys, love and be faithful to my wife… blah, blah, blah.

  I knew I wasn’t a good husband to Mary, but she wasn’t the best wife either. We never should have gotten married in the first place. We were too young, and although we thought we were in love, we weren’t ready for the ultimate commitment. The best thing we had was sexual chemistry, and we rarely partook in activities between the sheets anymore. Occasionally it would happen if we were at our Chicago home, but I typically bounced around from city to city, dealing with business and building my empire.

  Conklin Architecture, Construction, and Design was growing at an exponential rate, and my name was front and center. I was already filthy rich, but I wanted more. Money gave me power and control, and I needed to be in control.