Staring at my breasts, he sets the container of food down. “I don’t think your breasts are comfortable though.”
I let out a deep, throaty laugh. “I’m sure we can fix that after dinner.”
“I’m not sure they’ll last.”
I lift the edge of the negligee and show him the thong, and he starts toward me like a large cat stalking their prey.
I hold up my hand to stop him. “You ordered all this food, and we’ll need sustenance. Let’s eat and then see where the night takes us.”
Good sex will always take your mind off a shitty day.
Chapter TWENTY-NINE
Todd
Is it possible to have a chapped dick? I swear to God, I’ve had a lot of sex in my life, but never like this. It’s almost as if when we’re together, we’re both insatiable. I know sex can fade, so I’ve always been careful to want someone who will also be my friend, but holy shit, she’s amazing.
My phone rings, bringing me out of my reverie.
“Are you ready for your weekend?” Jim asks.
“Yes, we’re ready. Bags are packed and with your team. They’re supposed to pick me up at two thirty, and then we’ll head over to Cynthia’s office to get her and Sara. We should arrive in Stinson no later than five. The group will filter in tomorrow throughout the day.”
“I’m headed up now. If there’s any problems, call.”
“I will,” I assure Jim. We hang up and I continue to prepare to leave.
My phone buzzes right on time, alerting me that the car has arrived. I quickly shut down my computer and drop it in my bag before walking out. On Fridays the office is empty shortly after the market closes, so I’m one of the last few still here.
I wave to Thomas and hear him yell, “We’ll be there after lunch. I’m proposing in the morning at our favorite spot, so I’ll either be really happy or ready to drink myself into a stupor.”
“No one will know except Cynthia and me. Don’t be nervous. She’s an idiot if she says no. And I have a big bottle of bourbon. Trey likes a brand I had delivered, and I’m sure we’ll have some champagne.”
“Thanks, man.”
I get comfortable in the back seat of the car and relax, thinking about the workout my dick got last night. Cynthia can be a little loud, so we haven’t really done too much while in Stinson, despite Trey and Sara’s room being on the other side of the house, and I’m bummed that we probably won’t do much this weekend either with so many people floating around. But I know she’s really excited to have everyone together, and it’ll be a nice distraction. She’s been a good sport, but being stuck in our apartment’s giving her a little bit of cabin fever. She loves going out and experiencing life, so I’m happy to help.
We pull up to the building, and two men get out and escort two other guys, who put the girls in the car and then pile into a car behind us. Cynthia gets in and kisses me as she slides in next to me. Sara gives me a wave and sits on the other side of Cynthia.
“Thanks for giving me a ride,” she tells us. “Trey went up first thing this morning to prepare for the party. He’s working with my childhood friend on the menu for the weekend, but if you ask me, he just wanted a break from some craziness at work.”
“It certainly can’t be any worse than our craziness,” Cynthia replies.
“He’s dealing with my birth mother. It’s a close second.”
She must see my confused look, as she turns to me and explains, “My birth parents got pregnant with me when they were teenagers, and my mom came to San Francisco from the East Coast and hid for a while. After a little over three years, she realized she was in over her head, so she left me at a church in the city, and I grew up in the foster system. When Trey and I were dating, it was a pure coincidence that his company, Sandy Systems, was buying my birth father’s company, and my birth mother owns part of it. I have a great relationship with my four siblings, but my mother’s difficult on a good day, and Trey deals with her all the time.”
I remember some of this was tabloid news a few years ago, but I need to know more. “What about your birth father? Doesn’t he run the company?”
“He does, but they don’t know what to do with me, so my birth mother has taken over the Sandy Systems relationship. I clear my schedule for my brothers and sisters when they need me, but I don’t need anything from either parent, so I just ignore them both.”
“I don’t have near the drama of birth parents, but I like to ignore my parents at times, particularly my mother.”
“I suppose it’s probably normal to struggle with your parents, but thankfully they aren’t local and we can enjoy ourselves this weekend.”
“We’re going to have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for inviting all of us up.”
The girls then start talking about all the weekend activities and plans. At one point, Cynthia asks, “Do we know if Thomas has proposed to Elizabeth?”
“He’ll do it tomorrow morning.” Looking at Sara, I stress, “They haven’t been going out long, so he isn’t sure how she’ll answer. It’s a bit of a secret right now.”
She pulls out her phone and says, “No problem.” She pushes a few buttons and then holds the phone up to her ear. “Hey, can you add a case of champagne this weekend?” She listens a few seconds. “Great. See you in the morning.”
She turns back to me and says, “Done. Greer will bring champagne that they have from Andy’s family’s vineyard in France.”
“Do you guys know everyone?” I implore.
Sara and Cynthia laugh. “Maybe,” they both say in unison.
I return to the report I’m reading, but I’m distracted by Cynthia’s hand on my thigh. I lay my head back, close my eyes, and take a deep breath, thinking of my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Osbourn. She was mean and ugly. It’s the only thing that keeps me from getting a hard-on.
Cynthia leans in. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine.”
She rests her head on my shoulder, and I hear Sara on the phone with someone who’s doing most of the talking.
I take Cynthia’s hand in mine so it’s off my leg, and she giggles. “I was wondering if that was the problem.”
I nod. “Just remember, payback’s a bitch.”
We arrive a little earlier than expected and get ourselves settled. In the privacy of our room, Cynthia says, “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to distract you during the drive.”
“Yes you did, but I’ll pay you back tonight.”
“I can’t wait.”
I playfully swat her on her butt, and she squeals in delight as we walk out to join Trey and Sara in the living room for a glass of wine and dinner prep.
“I was in the mood for a good burger tonight. Is that okay?” Trey asks us.
“Sounds perfect to me,” I tell him.
“Me too,” Cynthia agrees.
The burgers are fantastic, and we have a wonderfully relaxing evening. Trey and Sara excuse themselves early, and Cynthia insists on watching a romantic comedy movie on the television. I swear she’s doing it to torment me.
When I can’t take it any longer, I take her back to our room and it’s my turn to torment her. I don’t care if she’s going to be loud. Like I told her, payback is a bitch.
I wake first and carefully extract myself from Cynthia. I have to go to the bathroom, but I also need to stretch my legs a bit before today starts. Trey mentioned getting up early to prepare, and I want to be a good guest and help out.
I spot him sitting on the patio, watching the small waves rolling up on the pebbled beach while the sun rises. I pour myself a cup of coffee and join him. “Hey.”
“Hey. You’re up early.”
“I thought you could use some help with whatever you’re setting up.”
“I’ve got about half the meat started.” I look at him, obviously confused, and he says, “I’m smoking some meat. That’ll take most of the day. We’ve got all sorts of meats, and we’ll barbeque some steaks. There should be something for
everyone, even the vegetarians. Sara’s childhood friend will arrive before dinner with about two dozen sides and desserts.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing right now. The housekeeper got into the other houses and got the beds all set. Sara knows where people are sleeping. I don’t mess with that. Later we’ll need to set up for a bonfire on the beach.”
“I’m happy to help wherever you need me.”
We sit in silence and just take in the quiet for a while.
I smell her jasmine, ginger, and vanilla scent before I feel a hand on my shoulder. I cover her hand with my own, and we watch the sun rise over the water in the distance.
This is bliss.
Once the sun is fully over the horizon, Cynthia says, “I’m making omelets. Anyone want one?”
Trey perks up. “Absolutely. What do we have?”
“Ham, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.” She ticks each item off with her fingers.
“I’ll take one.”
“What do you want in it?” she asks.
“Everything.”
“I’ll have one with everything too,” I chime in.
“Coming right up.”
After she goes inside, Trey asks, “How’s she doing with all this Russian crap?”
The anxiety churns in my stomach. “I think if she didn’t get the chance to escape to your beach house on the weekends, we’d be in worse shape.”
“My sister matched the two of you up. Did you know Cynthia lived in that building when you bought your place?”
“Not a clue. When I saw her, I was hoping she was coming to visit me.”
“I imagine that would’ve been quite a surprise.”
“Yes, it would’ve been. I think finding out she lived in the building was a bigger one. Well, that and a disappointment. It took us a long time to get past the neighbors thing.”
“I get that. But you two seem well matched.”
“Once this crap is behind us, we can have a normal life, and I plan on making it permanent.” I’m relieved to say it out loud; it helps me make it true. I just hope this mess is in our rearview mirror sooner rather than later.
Lifting his cup of coffee, he says, “Amazing what the right woman can do for a man.”
I nod, lifting my own cup of coffee in a toast.
It’s just after noon when everyone begins to arrive. Dillon and Emerson come in first, with the makings for a pretty nice lunch—several kinds of lunch meat, cheeses, vegetable toppings, condiments, hoagie rolls, some soups to be warmed, and a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dillon looks over at me and pulls out two bags of chips, conspiratorially whispering to me, “No sandwich is complete without some chips.”
“That and a good beer,” I reply.
We hear the rumble of a motorcycle pulling up out front. “Cameron and Hadlee have arrived,” Dillon says.
Trey nods. “Just wait to see what they look like when they come in.”
A few minutes later, all of my dominatrix fantasies come true—both Cameron and Hadlee are covered from head to toe in black leather. Holy shit.
As we’re making our sandwiches, CeCe arrives with her hands full. “Hey, guys. After lunch, can you help me unload my Range Rover?”
“I’m happy to help you now,” I volunteer.
She waves me away. “I have nothing in the car that can’t wait. Eat your lunch.”
Christopher follows shortly after, arriving with a case of beer from a small brewery in San Francisco.
“How did you manage a whole case?” Trey asks. “I thought the most you could get was a six-pack or a growler?”
“It pays to have gone to college with one of the owners.” Then, looking a bit sheepish, he adds, “I might’ve done some name-dropping too.”
Dillon pats him on the back. “Whatever works, my man.”
On the big screen in the background, I see the college football game. Cal’s playing, and that’s Trey’s alma mater. Dillon grumbles because he played football at Stanford.
We all grab our sandwiches, the bags of chips, and beers and sit in front of the television, leaving the women to catch up in the kitchen.
The afternoon progresses, everyone else slow to arrive. My buddy John and his wife Stephanie are the first of my friends to show up. I introduce them around, and immediately they blend in well with the group.
As we give up on college football, we maneuver ourselves out to the patio and inspect Trey’s barbecue masterpiece.
“That’s some pretty impressive meat,” Mason says.
I noticed Annabel doesn’t leave his side. It’s a little awkward with her standing here, but maybe it’s just me.
Almost everyone is here except for Thomas and Elizabeth. Cynthia walks over to me and says, “It can be difficult to find on your first trip. Should we text them to see if they’re lost?”
I pull out my phone and notice I missed a text from him about an hour ago.
Thomas: Running late. On our way.
I show the text and the thumbs-up emoji to Cynthia and shrug.
“I think that means we better make sure the champagne Greer and Andy brought is cold,” Cynthia quietly says to me.
“Regardless, I think it should be cold. We can find all sorts of things to celebrate.” She puts her arms around me and pulls me in close. Kissing the top of her head, I ask, “How are you doing with all this?”
“I’m doing great. How about you?”
My friends have easily integrated with Cynthia’s friends and coworkers. “No one’s fighting, I think we’re in great shape.”
Cynthia giggles. “Dinner will be ready shortly, and I expect Mason will give a toast to celebrate the hundredth client who’s gone public since we started almost a decade ago.”
“As long as I’m here with you, we can do whatever they want.”
The way she maneuvers around the team is awe inspiring. With the women, she’s close and chummy as if they’ve been friends forever; with the men, there is a touch of flirtation, yet with the distance of professionalism.
Thomas arrives with Elizabeth closely on his heels. He’s grinning from ear to ear. Elizabeth rushes up to Cynthia and gives her a big hug. “I’m so sorry we’re late. It’s all my fault. This lug had to surprise me with this.” She dangles her left hand in the air, sporting a beautiful, large, round-cut diamond solitaire in platinum.
“Congratulations! I’m so excited for you.”
“You must’ve been surprised,” I say.
Everyone stops what they’re doing to listen.
“Surprised, shocked, and excited all at the same time.” She grins widely.
“How did he do it?” Cynthia asks. “We want all the details.”
“You know, he didn’t even tell me we were coming here for the weekend. We’re up in Marin, where we had our first date. Here I am in yoga pants and a ratty old T-shirt, no makeup on, one step off looking like a vagrant, and we go to breakfast like we do every Saturday morning. He was so nervous, fiddling with something in his pocket.”
“Oh my God, Trey did the same thing. I thought he was having a heart attack,” Sara exclaims.
Elizabeth looks at her. “I know! I thought the same thing. I was super surprised because we’ve never even talked about it. Since I met him, that’s where I was hoping we were going, but he’s such a player. I didn’t think anyone would be able to get him to settle down.”
Thomas turns positively crimson, and I love it. “Keep telling her the story,” he urges.
“He’s so romantic. He starts reminding me of all the things we’ve done in just the short time we’ve been dating. He tells me about how, since he met me, he’s never looked at another woman. It was then that I started to figure out that he was proposing.”
The crowd chuckles; some of the women have tears in their eyes.
“That’s the way it is when you meet the right woman,” Cameron grumbles, and Hadlee elbows him in the stomach. He doesn’t f
linch, but they look at each other with admiration and obvious love.
“We were sitting in Marin, overlooking the bay. I’m drinking my coffee, and all of a sudden he gets down on one knee and asks.” She wipes a tear away. “It was so sweet, and he just swept me off my feet. I couldn’t help but say yes.”
We all cheer for them.
“Don’t we have some champagne around here somewhere?” I ask.
Bottles pop and glasses are passed around.
Elizabeth continues, “Then he tells me we’re coming up to Stinson for the weekend, and I’m going to meet a bunch of people. I demanded he take me home to change first, and we called our families and shared our news. And I packed for the weekend.”
I lift my glass. “I know many of you have not had the opportunity to get to know Thomas and Elizabeth, but I want to be the first to congratulate one of my best friends and his fiancée. To a happy life.”
“Congratulations!”
We congregate into two groups again, self-segregating into male and female groups. The women are in the kitchen, and the guys manage the grill and our beer intake.
We eat amazingly well. I’m not sure when all the side dishes showed up, but holy cow, they’re amazing. The women lay out pasta salad, some of those grainy salads, fruit salad, green salad, coleslaw, potato salad, a warm spinach salad, macaroni and cheese, some kind of potato dish, and multiple types of rolls. The spread of meats that the guys cooked and the grilled vegetables were fantastic.
Cynthia announces, “I don’t think I’ll ever need to eat again. I need to go on a diet.”
She most certainly does not need to go on a diet. I think she’s perfect just the way she is.
That thought keeps crossing my mind over and over, and I’m reminded of my conversation with Thomas. Maybe he’s right. After all this crap’s over, I need to do something. But first I need to start with the simplest thing, and that’s to tell her how I feel about her. I don’t want it to be here in front of everyone, or while we’re in bed together. I want it to be special.
I stand up and reach for her hand. “I need to go for a walk and work off some of the food we ate.”
Obsession: (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #5) A Billionaire Russian Mob Romance Page 19
