by Alexa Davis
If nothing ever came of it, at least I would have a nice evening, and this time, I wouldn’t be such a stick in the mud. Sure, the main priority of the meeting would be business related, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t get to know him a little better, too. He intrigued me in ways that I hadn't been in a very long time.
For the first time in years, inspiration flooded me, and I found myself overwhelmed with the urge to write things down. Creating my last book had been therapeutic for me; it helped me get through the most difficult time of my life, but that was it. I hadn't thought about it since. Maybe it was Justin finding my book and knowing that he’d taken it away to read it, or maybe it was the positivity that I was finally feeling, but I was itching to put pen to paper again.
I glanced over to Rae, seeing that she more or less still had full control of the place, and I grabbed my notebook out of my pocket, needing to get some of my emotions out.
I see him, standing in the corner of the room with the light falling on him at the most perfect angle. We might be at a party, surrounded by hundreds of other people, but he’s the only one that I notice. Those cheekbones, that sweet dimple, those sparkling eyes…he’s special, someone that I want to wrap my arms around and embrace wholly, but I can’t.
The reason I can’t is because he will never be mine.
For starters, he’s way out of my league. Then there’s the fact that he’s dating the most popular girl in school. There’s no way he would look at me. I’m not sexy, pretty, beautiful. I’m not the cheerleader type. I’m odd, quirky, socially awkward, nowhere near good enough for someone like Mackenzie.
That doesn’t stop me from loving him, though. I think about him all the time; he’s like an obsession, an addiction I cannot shake…
“Mom!” Rae called out, dragging me back into the real world. “Can you help me?”
As I raced to her side, wanting to give her everything that she needed, characters and a plot started to form in my mind, and I actually felt excited about where this book could go. Nothing would happen with it, just like the last one, but it’d be fun to write all the same. I remembered how much I loved getting lost in another world, and I was looking forward to doing so again.
Chapter Thirteen –
Justin – Friday
This time, the three-hour drive down to Florence was filled with very positive thoughts about my brother. Garrett had really been proving to me that he wanted to change, and I was slowly becoming convinced. Just like he promised, he came into work with me the very next day after his little speech, and I’d managed to find a suitable place for him.
Admittedly, there were a few teething issues in the beginning; for example, he didn’t like being on the research team, but to his credit, he was flying away in the marketing department. The creativity of the job suited him well, and he was doing even better than expected. Now that he was doing well, as far as I could tell, he’d stopped the drinking and acting like a twat. He was finally growing up.
I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to follow through with this trip, which was why I hadn't booked the hotel room until the very last minute, but now I was confident that I could trust him. I really felt like he could hold his shit together for a few days, and he would be just as good in the company next week.
Maybe I’d finally managed to get through to him; maybe he was finally ready to grow the hell up. If that was the case, then I would be incredibly proud of him. Maybe then one day I could hand the managerial reins over to him, giving me the freedom to do what I wanted with my life…not that I was sure what that was yet.
As I arrived, I checked into the hotel quickly, pleased that I was given the same room with that amazing view all over again…not that I had much time to enjoy it, as I was already running a little late. Because I was rushing, I didn’t bother to go full tuxedo for this dinner, instead wearing a shirt and trousers. I looked professional enough, with an element of casual there, too.
I couldn’t wait to see Annie again, and not just because she’d been in the back of my mind the entire time we were apart. I was excited to tell her how far I’d managed to get with Harry, too. He wasn’t convinced, even now; in fact, he told me that investing in Boffees would be like throwing my money down the drain. But with Garrett curbing his spending and showing some real signs of change, I finally managed to bring Harry round, just a little bit.
I thanked my lucky stars for Garrett’s awesome timing – he had literally given me more time to spend with the woman I liked a little too much for my own good. Of course, if I went into business with her, we would never be able to hook up, but that wasn’t my top concern, not this time. I wanted Annie to be happy.
“Hi there,” I smiled, my heart leaping with joy as I saw her sitting there at the restaurant table already. “I’m so sorry that I’m late; the traffic was bad.” That wasn’t strictly true, but I didn’t want to get into the long and involved story about Garrett and my mild distrust of him right now. “You look gorgeous.”
As I kissed both of her cheeks, her floral scent filled my nostrils and I felt that now familiar warmth in my chest that she gave me. I knew that I’d missed her the entire time, but it hit me hard as I felt her near me again.
“Oh, thank you.” As a blush filled her cheeks, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Her rejection of me might have been cold before, but it was so obvious that there was something there for me, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself yet.
No, stop it, I scolded myself. Don’t think like that.
“So, how have you been?” I asked her as I took my seat. “Business been good this week?”
“Yes, it’s been great, actually,” she grinned brightly. “Busy as always. How about you?”
“Crazy as always,” I replied evasively, glazing over the part where it had been one of the most life-changing weeks of my life…as long as it stuck with Garrett. “Glad to have a break.”
“Oh, well, we better get a drink then,” she joked, handing me the wine list. As my eyes scanned over the page, I debated whether or not I should tell her that I’d finished her book before deciding against it. I had so many theories on why her characters acted the way that they did, and I felt like it was all related very closely to her life, and I wasn’t sure if that was casual, over dinner conversation.
No, I would wait for the perfect moment to bring that subject up.
Once we’d placed our orders, I looked at her with real emotion in my eyes. I couldn’t keep how I was feeling inside, even if I really wanted to. “It’s good to see you again,” I admitted to her, not even caring if I was overstepping a line.
“Yeah,” she nodded, with a peaceful smile playing on her lips. “It’s good to see you again, too.”
“How’s Rae? She was great on the phone the other day!” I couldn’t believe how well she could conduct herself on the phone. If she was a little bit older, I might have considered hiring her myself.
“She’s great. Nancy has her tonight, so she’s over the moon.”
“Nancy is the babysitter, right?” I could vaguely remember that much. “Is she a friend of yours, too?”
“She is, actually,” Annie answered, taking a sip of her drink after the waiter poured it out. “She’s one of the first people that I met when I moved to Florence, and I don’t know what I’d do without her now.”
“Why did you move?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking, despite the fact I knew that it was probably inappropriate, especially if she’d had a difficult past.
“I just…I wanted a change.” Her eyes were shifting everywhere; she was fiddling with her fingers, moving uncomfortably in her seat. There was something behind her moving, something important, and I wanted to know more – but of course, I couldn’t. She had to want to tell me. “I like it here, anyway.”
“It is beautiful. Anyway, cheers to possibly being business partners.”
Our glasses clinked together, but that was all we managed to discuss when it came to business. I had all sorts
that I wanted to tell her, a lot to talk about, but we kept getting distracted by other things. The more the wine flowed, the more comfortable around her I became, the more open I felt. Then I asked the one question that I’d vowed I wouldn’t: I touched on the subject I had told myself I would wait before discussing.
“Your book, is it based on anyone?”
Shit, why the hell did I ask that? From the way that Annie’s expression turned serious and her face went a little pale, I could tell that I’d done the wrong thing.
“Have you finished it?” she gasped, holding onto her chest as if her heart might burst out at any moment.
“I absolutely loved it,” I told her, wanting desperately to reassure her. “The writing is incredible. Your characters are so believable, which is why I thought that they might be based on…someone.” You, I thought in my head, but I didn’t say that aloud.
“N…no,” she stammered. “I don’t know anyone accused of murder.” She was trying to make a joke out of it, but she knew exactly what I was getting at. “I didn’t realize that you had a brother.”
I was absolutely stunned by her words. I hadn't mentioned Garrett at all, but then again, she could have always found out from Roy. It was obvious that she just wanted a distraction from the very difficult question that I’d just asked her, so I let her have her way.
“Garrett has always been a bit of a nightmare,” I replied tactfully. “But he’s doing better these days. He just needs some guidance, that’s all.”
She didn’t answer me, clearly a little embarrassed by her over-the-top reaction, so I took a massive glug of wine, which she copied.
“Do you think you might want dessert today?” I asked, half referring to our last meal, half just not wanting to leave.
“Yeah, I could use some chocolate right about now.”
Okay, that was good; at least she wasn’t running out of here screaming. We would eat our chocolaty treats, then discuss business…
***
The only problem was during dessert, we both drank a little too much, which left us laughing over silly stuff rather than talking about business, at all. I kept thinking about it in the back of my mind, but somehow, it never made it past my lips.
“Ooh, I think we better leave,” I finally giggled to Annie. “They’re putting the chairs up on the table. That’s a clear sign that we’ve outstayed our welcome.”
“Oops,” she laughed alongside me. “I didn’t realize. Come on.”
I felt sad that we were going our separate ways, but glad that we’d had such a fun night. It might not have been very productive, but it had been a lot of laughs. As I walked her outside, I felt the almost overwhelming urge to grab hold of her, to kiss her, but I forced my hands into my pockets. I had to resist, however hard it was, because it freaked her out last time.
“Are you getting a cab?” I asked her, feeling hollow inside. “Or do you want me to walk you back?”
She paused for so long that I actually felt the need to turn around and stare at her. Once I gazed into her eyes, I could see something new there, something I hadn't ever seen before, and it sparked something deep inside of me.
“Aren’t you going to invite me back to your hotel room again?” she asked me huskily.
Was that…desire? Is that what that fire was being her eyes? Oh my God. I didn’t know what the hell to do. Much as I wanted to take her up on the offer, it didn’t feel wise. Then again, I was only human, and I liked her a lot.
“Are you serious?” I practically growled back, as my heart thumped wildly in my chest. My cock was starting to react, desperately standing to attention, needing this to happen.
She didn’t answer me; she just moved closer and pressed her body up against mine. I could feel her heart racing, her ragged breaths panting – she was serious all right! She might have been aware, just as I was, that it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but she wanted it anyway.
Then her lips crashed against mine, and I realized just how much. Her kiss shared my passion, my neediness, my desire. Everything about the moment felt crazy, but perfect, too. As my arms wrapped around her and I held her close, I never wanted to let her go.
“I’m sure,” she eventually gasped as we fell apart from one another. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
If Annie wanted me and I wanted her, then maybe we needed to give into this temptation. There would be consequences, but we could deal with them in the morning. Right now, I needed to give my body exactly what it had been wanting ever since I first laid eyes on this incredible woman.
I liked her, I needed her, and now I could see that she felt the same way, too. What would be the point of turning her down, just because it was the sensible thing to do?
“Let’s go,” I replied quietly, holding her as close to my body as humanly possible. “The hotel is just around the corner.”
Chapter Fourteen –
Annie – Friday
What am I doing? I thought desperately as I allowed Justin’s arm to snake its way around my waist. Why did I ask to go back to his hotel room? My heart thundered painfully against my rib cage as I realized that I’d probably thrown myself at him, but to be perfectly honest, that wasn’t enough to stop me.
I wanted Justin. I’d been lusting after him for days now, and I had just enough alcohol swimming around in my system for me not to care about the consequences of my actions. I simply wanted to give in to the person that my body was aching for. Luckily, Nancy had Rae all night and was staying over, so I could stay out a little while longer.
As we walked through the hotel lobby, I started to feel really naughty, like a schoolgirl about to be caught out doing something crazy, and for some weird reason, that simply added to my excitement levels. Butterflies were flapping violently in my stomach, anticipation was racing through my veins, and my brain was fogging up with desire. This might have been the craziest thing that I’d ever done, but I was convinced it would be the best fun, too.
Now that I knew Justin wasn’t a horrible womanizer, I didn’t mind spending a little adult time with him. It might have been a huge step for me, considering I hadn't been with anyone for years – not since Rae’s dad – and also a very risky one since this man was about to become a potential business partner, but my sensibilities were nowhere to be seen.
All I knew was that I wanted him.
The elevator ride up to the top floor was absolutely killer. There was such a thick sexual tension in the air that it was almost difficult to breathe, but I couldn’t make the first move. If Justin intended to stand there as if this was most normal ride upwards in the world, then I would have to do the same, however much I was itching to jump on him.
All of that changed the instant we stepped out of the doors and into the hallway. No one else was around, and as I stalked purposely towards what I hoped would be his door, Justin grabbed my arm to spin me around, bringing me right back into his arms. He kissed me hard, tugging at my jacket, pulling it to the ground, discarding it like a piece of old garbage.
I stopped caring, too, and I unbuttoned his shirt all the way down, revealing some incredible abs. I wouldn’t have been able to tell, but he had the most amazing body underneath. Better than anything I’d ever touched.
“Hold on,” he eventually gasped, pulling away from me. “Let me just get the door open.”
He fumbled with the keys, distracted by our kiss, which pleased me. I liked the fact that I could have that effect on him. It made me feel sexy for the first time in a very long time. I’d spent so long just being boring old Annie, running the bookshop and trying to mend my broken heart, that I’d forgotten how wonderful it was to be wanted, to be looked at lustfully.
We crashed through the door, back in each other’s arms, our mouths connected back together like magnets that couldn’t be pulled apart, and Justin pushed my body back up against it to click it to a close. Once I was pressed up against the coolness of the door, co
ntrasting greatly with the intense heat emanating from my body, Justin wasted no time in getting to work.
He pulled my leg upwards, pushing my foot against the wall, and hitched my dress upwards. Desire pulsated through me, causing an involuntary moan to escape.
“Fuck, Annie,” he panted against my mouth. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Except, I did know. I could feel his rock hard cock pressing up against my thigh, throbbing, crying out for me, needing to explore the hot, wet desire that I had just for him.
My head lolled to one side and my eyes slid shut as his lips found my neck. He was kissing me all over, finding erogenous zones I didn’t even know I had, and the feelings he had coursing through my body made me grateful that I’d caved to temptation. Now that I was finally experiencing it, I didn’t think I could have gone through life unaware of how phenomenal this intense passion could feel.
I’d become so consumed by his mouth that I didn’t actually notice his fingers making their way up my legs until they were already there, tracing the outline of my panties. He was tantalizingly close to where I needed him to be, and I found myself pressing my body hard against his, hoping that he’d get the hint from my silent clues. I felt like I was being obvious, but he didn’t seem to get it – he continued to tease me regardless.
“I…I need you,” I eventually panted through ragged breaths. “I need you now.”
Justin rewarded my obedience by tugging my panties to one side and slipping a finger in. That action didn’t go anywhere towards satisfying me, but it did feel amazing enough for me to groan loudly.
“You like that, baby?” he whispered into my ear, his breath tickling my now very sensitive neck. “You want more?”
“God, yes,” I pleaded, digging my nails into his broad shoulders. He’d barely touched me, and I found myself clinging onto him for dear life, as if he were the only one connecting me to the Earth.
