“But—”
“No. You’ve said your piece, now let it go. Our son is a wise man, and I’m sure you didn’t say anything just now that he hasn’t already thought of.”
“Thanks, Dad. And yes, of course I questioned the wisdom of dating an employee,” I told them, trying to shake off my irritation. Her heart’s in the right place. Any normal person would be wondering the same things. “She didn’t get the job because of the way I feel about her. I made sure her interviewer was completely objective. Technically, she accepted the position, then we got together before her official start date. Just because both things happened around the same time doesn’t mean they’re connected. And she’s doing great at RPC, even after just two weeks.”
Dad nodded in acceptance, but my mother wasn’t convinced.
“But how can you be sure that—”
“I know her, Mom. I trust her. I appreciate your concern, but believe me... If you really knew her, you’d understand that she’s the last person who would consciously take advantage of me.”
“You love her,” Dad smiled.
“Yes, I do,” I replied without hesitation. “But I haven’t said the words to her yet, so I’d appreciate you keeping that to yourselves.” Mom winced slightly.
“But it’s so fast.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“When you know, you know,” Dad agreed.
I was glad to have his approval, though I’d never really doubted him. Mom was still looking concerned, but she eventually nodded and let me leave the room without further argument.
When I returned to the living room, Kennedy was buckling Ethan into his car seat, and Charlotte was gazing at me with an affectionate smile. A sensation of warmth spread through my chest as I smiled back and thought of what I’d just admitted to my parents.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I was in love with Charlotte. Yes, it was fast. Yes, our situation was a bit complicated. Yes, I was her boss. But none of that changed how I felt. I loved her more than I’d ever loved anyone in my life.
We were able to leave when Kennedy and Donovan did, since I’d blocked them in with precisely that intention. Charlotte was quiet on the way back to my apartment. Our apartment, I amended silently. I glanced at her a few times as I drove, but her expression gave nothing away. Had Mom crossed the line after all?
I spent the elevator ride grappling for the right way to apologize for my mother, but when I closed the front door, Charlotte immediately pushed me backward against it and kissed me with surprising ferocity. Her little tongue darted between my lips and made me groan in appreciation. I took a fistful of her black hair in one hand and grabbed her ass hard with the other, loving the way she shuddered in my arms.
Her hands were already making quick work of my clothing, and I didn’t even try to slow her down. She had my fly open and her fingers around my cock with impressive speed, and I instinctively pressed harder against her hand. I was always ready for her. She moaned into my mouth, kissing me as though she wanted to devour me whole, and I was all too willing to let her.
We left a trail of clothing from the front door to the master bedroom, both of us naked by the time we collapsed onto the bed. She rode out her first orgasm on my hand while my mouth worshipped her perfect breasts, and before the spasms had even stopped, I lay flat on the bed and pulled her body over mine until she was straddling my face. I coaxed another release out of her with my tongue, gripping her ass hard as she writhed against my mouth.
It was raw and urgent, even a little rough. She’d probably be sore later and maybe even have a mark or two, but knowing that only made me hungrier for her. I paused long enough to reach for a condom out of the nightstand, but she grabbed my hand.
“I found a new doctor this week. I’m on the shot, and we’re both clean,” she panted, still feeling the effects of her second orgasm. “I don’t want anything between us tonight. Let me feel you. All of you.”
“Fuck, yes,” I groaned, sitting up to kiss her again. The taste of her was still on my tongue, and she seemed to enjoy it.
Craving more intimacy, I moved to the edge of the bed and urged her to straddle me properly this time. She sank down onto me, enveloping my cock with such exquisite heat that my brain short-circuited for a moment. I couldn’t seem to draw breath or speak, and even my vision had gone hazy. All I could do was feel. And all I felt was her. My angel.
My love.
Charlotte wrapped her legs around my waist and began to move, kissing me deeply. We settled into an erotic rhythm as her hands twisted in my hair and mine explored her slender curves from her shoulders to her perfect ass. My lips moved slowly downward to her neck, and she tilted her head to grant me access.
“Oh, God, baby… Fuck…”
I practically growled the words against the rosy skin of her neck, and I gasped when I felt her start to tremble with another orgasm. Charlotte pulled back as much as my firm grip would allow and moved her hands to frame my jaw, forcing me to look into her eyes.
“I love you,” she breathed.
Those three little words were my undoing, and we exploded together with near-identical cries of pleasure. I filled her completely and was still pulsing within her when I captured her lips again. But just briefly this time. I locked eyes with her and felt my face split in a wide grin.
“I love you too.”
Charlotte smiled and sighed contentedly, tilting her head a little as she stroked my cheek.
“I know. I heard you tell your parents.”
“I meant it,” I promised. “With all of my heart. I wish you’d heard me say it right, though. I’ve been trying to think of the right sort of date night and the perfect moment…” She laughed, which made her insides clench around me deliciously.
“That doesn’t surprise me. And you can do that anyway, if you want, but it was still perfect. You were standing up for me, and no one’s really done that since…” Her voice faded, and I kissed her temple with a patient smile.
“Since your mom,” I supplied. “While she still could.”
“Yeah.” Charlotte’s eyes were full of emotion, but she was still smiling. “I can’t explain how much it meant to hear it.”
“I’ll always stand up for you. No matter what.” She nodded, and I could tell she truly believed me. The trust in her eyes humbled me. “I love you so much, Angel.”
“I love you too.”
Charlotte pressed her lips to mine again, and I stirred to life once again, still nestled inside of her. She leaned back to smirk at me.
“Haven’t you had enough yet?”
“Never.”
Twenty-One
Charlotte
I checked the time on my new phone and reread Eli’s text as I rode the elevator up to his office. He’d asked me to stop in before I left for the evening to go visit with Mom at her new care facility. We’d driven to work separately that morning, since Eli had a late meeting to attend, and I hadn’t seen him since we’d left the apartment.
I’d taken the afternoon off yesterday to be at the new facility when Mom arrived, but the excitement of the trip seemed to have drained her, so I’d only been able to stay long enough to see her settled in her new room. I was anxious to go back today and see how she was responding to the new environment.
The place Eli and I had found for her was wonderful. Not that the one she’d left in Wauchula had been bad, but it had been older and in need of some refurbishing and technological updates. Mom’s new home was state-of-the-art and, thanks to Eli and my new healthcare policy, comfortably within my budget. I liked all of the staff members I’d met so far, and for once, I felt like it was okay to relax a little about my mother. She was being taken care of, and I could see her any time I wanted.
Things with Eli were going exceptionally well too. He doted on me constantly, and he’d been incredibly helpful throughout the process of Mom’s relocation. Last week’s dinner with his family had been tense at times, but hearing him say he loved me had erased
every negative feeling I might have had about it. I’d never been in love before, not really. Not like this. Eli seemed to consume my every waking thought, and I loved him with a fierceness that some probably would’ve considered unhealthy. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. Our feelings for each other defied all sense and reason, and for once in my life… I was okay with that.
Walter waved me toward Eli’s office with a friendly smile, but when I entered the room, I was surprised to find he wasn’t alone. A familiar-looking young man was standing at the conference table, closing the latches on his briefcase.
“Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt,” I said quickly, prepared to head back to the lobby to wait.
“No, it’s fine, Angel. Come in,” Eli replied, gesturing to the stranger. “This is Hayden Forrester. Hayden, this is my Charlotte.” My cheeks warmed at the audible pride in his voice, and I belatedly recognized Hayden as Eli’s lunch companion from weeks ago at Chance Encounters.
“A pleasure to finally meet you properly,” he smiled, striding forward to shake my hand. I returned the gesture politely and took a moment to study him.
Hayden seemed well-mannered and warm, if perhaps a little reserved. That surprised me a bit, considering who his mother was. While Leona was one of the kindest people I knew, no one would describe her as reserved. Hayden’s suit fit him impeccably, his short beard was perfectly kept, and there wasn’t a hair out of place on his head. In truth, he looked somewhat similar to the suit-and-tie version of Eli. Hayden was very attractive, but his smile seemed rehearsed in a way that made me wonder if the man ever had any fun.
“You too. I’ve heard a lot about you. Are you guys sure I’m not interrupting?”
“No, we’re finished,” Eli assured me, leaning down to drop a quick kiss on my cheek. “Hayden’s on his way out, and I have a few minutes before my meeting.”
“Yes, other than some boring contract negotiations, I was in the building to visit my mother and try to coax her into letting me take her out for dinner. But apparently, she’s conscripted for this meeting too,” Hayden explained. I smiled at the thought of anyone successfully ‘coaxing’ Leona to do anything.
“I like your mom a lot. She’s a very interesting woman.”
“That she is,” he chuckled. “She seems to have fans everywhere she goes.”
“I’m sorry about this meeting, Angel. I wanted to go with you to check on Paula.”
“Don’t worry about it. I doubt she’ll be up for an extended visit yet anyway. I was planning to make something quick and simple for dinner when I get home. Do you want me to keep a plate warm for you?”
“That would be great, thanks,” he smiled. “Be careful. Tell your mom I said hello.”
“Okay. See you.”
I hesitated, not sure whether it was okay to kiss him goodbye in front of Hayden, but Eli quickly made the decision for me. He pulled my body against his and claimed my lips possessively. I melted into him without a second thought, but when he finally released me, I quirked an eyebrow inquiringly.
The kiss had been more of a show than we usually allowed others to see, especially at the office. Was he not worried about Hayden? I glanced at his friend, who was busy looking everywhere but at us. Eli gave me a smirk and a playful shrug, silently acknowledging the less than subtle, albeit one-sided, pissing contest. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
Men.
“I’d be happy to walk you out, since I’m leaving as well,” Hayden volunteered as he followed me toward the elevator. “I’m parked in the garage.”
“Sure,” I smiled, punching the button and watching the number on the panel as the elevator ascended.
Hayden waited quietly with a placid expression, the picture of a wealthy, well-bred Southern businessman. It was hard to reconcile this Hayden with the man Eli had described as one of his best friends. I knew he was a few years younger than Eli and that they’d met through Hayden’s late elder sister. It was a unique way to make a friend, but that friendship seemed even more unlikely now. My Eli was sarcastic and playful. Responsible too, but not overly serious. Hayden, on the other hand, seemed to personify the word ‘serious.’
“I apologize for that little scene in Eli’s office. He doesn’t usually act that way when other people are around, and especially not at work,” I said nervously once we were in the elevator alone. Hayden’s reserved demeanor had me feeling self-conscious. But to my surprise, the cool exterior melted a little, and he gave me a kind smile.
“He was staking his claim. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Is this a guy thing I’m not aware of? Part of some ‘bro code?’” I teased, hoping to loosen him up a bit more.
“Maybe. But you should take it as a good sign. He loves you.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t have to.” Hayden’s tone was still polite and fairly neutral, but his words made me feel warm, and I couldn’t help but smile.
The elevator opened onto the first level of the underground parking structure, and I began to walk toward my car, turning to say goodbye. To my surprise, however, he was following me.
“I’ll walk you,” he said, keeping step with me.
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I’m parked right over…”
The rest of my sentence faded from my thoughts as my car came into full view. The driver’s side window was completely shattered, and a sea of tiny glass pebbles glinted at me from the pavement below. I stopped abruptly, staring in shocked silence.
“Is that your car?”
“Yes. I…” Words failed me as I glanced around the structure for a sign of the culprit, and Hayden’s head swiveled in every direction as well.
When I was around ten or so, our station wagon had taken a rock to one of its windows. The rock had been thrown by the neighbor’s lawn mower, and it had hit in precisely the right place to shatter the whole window. Mom had been a little frustrated, but ‘accidents happen,’ as she’d told me with a shrug.
I was at a loss to see how this window could’ve been broken by accident, however. There were a few departing employees making their way to their vehicles, but it was impossible to know which of them could be responsible. None of them were looking in our direction, and most were distracted by their smartphones.
“Peek inside and see if it looks like anything’s missing, but don’t touch anything.”
I did as he suggested, but my brain didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. Other than the glass pebbles scattered everywhere, the interior looked normal. Before I knew it, Hayden was ushering me back into the elevator with a gentle arm around my shoulders. We returned to the ground level, and I heard him speaking to someone at the security desk in cool, measured tones. One of the guards led us into the security office and invited me to sit at the large table while Hayden gave instructions to get the area roped off and call the police. He seemed to take command of the situation quite naturally, and it didn’t cross my mind to disagree with anything he said.
A different security guard handed me a cold bottle of water and sat down across from me with a pad of paper, a pen, and a gentle smile. I recognized him as the same man who had walked me to my car back in July, the night I’d met Eli, but I couldn’t recall his name.
“I remember you. I think,” I said vaguely as I opened the water bottle. I took a long drink to calm my nerves and collect my scrambled wits.
“Name’s Ralph, Miss Douglas,” he reminded me with a nod. “Nice to see you again. Or it would be, under better circumstances. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?”
“Sure.”
“The police are on their way, and I’m sure they’ll want to get a statement from you. I just want to make sure we’re doing everything we need to do until they get here.”
I nodded and took another drink, starting to feel a bit more like myself as we tried to nail down a timeline. I hadn’t moved my car since I’d arrived at work that morning, so unless someone else had reported something, the security staff would have qui
te a few hours of surveillance footage to go through. It seemed unlikely that my car had gone unnoticed in that state for very long, so Hayden suggested starting in the evening and working their way back.
Of course, the obvious question was who. Ralph asked if there was anyone at work who would have done something like that, but in all honesty, I couldn’t think of anyone I’d crossed paths with at RPC who would dislike me that much. So far as I knew, I hadn’t been chosen over anyone else for my position, and the drama I’d feared over my relationship with Eli had never really panned out. Sure, I got the occasional speculative or judgmental look, but no one had intentionally isolated me or said anything negative. I’d even made a couple of friends, including my boss.
“Maybe it was an accident,” I shrugged, trying to sound more even-keeled than I felt. Hayden looked skeptical but didn’t reply.
“We’ll figure it out either way,” Ralph assured me, patting the back of my hand in a paternal gesture.
“Are you okay?” I looked up to see Eli in the doorway, looking frazzled.
“I’m fine.” Or at least I was trying to be. He was at my side in an instant, his hands massaging my shoulders gently as he addressed Hayden.
“Thanks for letting me know and sticking around. I appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem. I was happy to help. We didn’t see anyone behaving suspiciously, just employees leaving for the day. No one else even seemed to realize anything had happened.” Hayden’s phone rang, and he winced at whatever showed up on the caller ID. “I’m sorry, but I need to be on my way.”
“Yeah, I’ve got this. See you.”
“Thank you for your help, Hayden.”
Hayden said a polite farewell and left the office, and Eli turned his attention back to me. He was hovering a bit, which was touching but unnecessary. It was my car that had been hurt, not me.
“You’re white as a sheet. Do you feel sick?” he pressed, tilting my chin up for a clearer look at my face. His blue eyes burned bright with concern.
Fortune's Angel (Fates Aligned Book 2) Page 16
