I tilt my head to the side. I didn’t tell her anything, so now she’s fishing.
“How well do you know Axel Remington?” Toni looks at me over her sunglasses.
I gaze over the people wandering, so many of them holding hands and smiling. Why can’t it be us? “He’s friends with Nate.”
“But is he really? He’s the agent of one of Nate’s players. That doesn’t mean Nate really knows him.”
“True. But given all that Nate’s gone through with his wife being murdered by her good friend, I think he’s careful about who he brings into his circle.”
She sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m only looking out for you.”
“I know, but it’s nice to think about something other than Viviana for a while.”
Toni is quiet a moment. “The FBI was at Claire’s offices going through things,” she reports. “She thought Landon was going to throttle them. Her office building was next door to Viviana’s, and there’s a possibility she got ahold of their satellite technology. Claire swears Tinsley took Landon somewhere and must have done something for him, because when they came back, she was flushed and Landon was finally calm.”
Do people really have sex at work? My stomach turns. All those body fluids and smells on a desk or office chair. I shiver. Gross. “They’ve been turning things upside down at Diamond.”
“Aren’t you glad you’re not there dealing with it?” Toni says, shaking her head.
I shrug. “Yes, but I worry I’m going to like not bothering with all the crap related to a publicly traded company a little too much. Flirt is fun, and we’re agile. I have a great team, thanks to SHN.”
“You deserve a little fun,” Toni assures me. “I’m amazed that it’s happening so fast.”
“We still have a long way to go, but I hope it will hit the mark.” I look at a couple holding hands at the next table. I envy them. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”
Toni follows my gaze, and her lips curl. I know she feels the same way. We know many of the movers and shakers in technology, and none of them makes my heart go pitter-patter like Axel does.
“Justin was an insecure jackass,” Toni says dismissively. “Anyway, when do you see Axel again?”
I hesitate, but finally give in. “Tonight. We’re going to have dinner and hang out at my place.”
“That’s huge. Is he bringing an overnight bag?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. He has a greyhound rescue. We’re going to walk Pier 39 and find a place to eat outside—if the weather holds.”
“Maybe you should take a change of underwear and a toothbrush in your bag in case you end up back at his place.”
I nod. I doubt we’ll walk back to his place. That would be quite a ways.
“Are you going to tell him?” Toni asks.
“Tell him what?”
“About being one of the richest women in the world.”
I can’t even imagine how I would bring that up. “No. I don’t want to start a conversation with, ‘By the way, I can buy the Yankees and still have plenty of money left over.’”
Toni chuckles. “It would be fun to see the look on his face if you did. But you might at least hint at it so if he’s going to be insecure, he can run for the hills before you get your heart broken.”
“If it comes up organically, I may. I know he makes good money. He gets ten percent of everything Jeremy Hamilton and all the other players he manages make.”
“That’s a pretty cushy job—you negotiate the deal; they do all the work and pay you ten percent.”
I shrug.
“I give Justin some props, though,” she says. “He never asked you for money or to fund any of his ideas.”
“No, we were pretty separate about our money.”
We drink our drinks, finish our salads, and take in the beautiful day. I shut my eyes and look up to get some sun on my face.
“Axel seems like a good guy. Just figure out how you’re going to navigate the issue when it comes out. If he has a problem with it, he can be on his way.”
“But what if I’m going to be single forever?” I say with a sigh.
“Look, I live by Caroline’s wisdom: If you want companionship, buy a dog. If you want sex, buy a good toy. And if you want children, there are multiple ways to accomplish that. You don’t need a man to complete you.”
I sigh. “I know. But I’m not ready to give up quite yet.”
“Good, because I hear this new dating app is amazing. Plus, you just had fantastic sex on a first date that lasted two days.” Toni smirks, and that’s exactly why I adore her. She’s protective one minute and funny the next. She worked hard getting Chirp developed with her business partner, and she’s often the female face of the company. It’s hard to date a decent guy under those circumstances.
Lunch finished, we stand and hug each other goodbye. “I’m counting on the app to find you a great guy,” I tell her.
I run my hands down my cotton sundress and debate on a sweater. I’m looking forward to walking the waterfront and enjoying time with Axel away from the baseball field. He just sent me a text to tell me he’s on his way. That means I have about twenty minutes. What should I do? I should probably take care of myself to take the edge off, but that seems a bit much. Instead, I pace through my house, watching the boardwalk below. You can always tell the tourists, because they take in the beauty of the City. The locals seem immune to the Golden Gate, the orange sunsets, and the breathless views contrasting city and water living.
A lot of loops through my living room later, the buzzer rings, and I grab my sweater on the walk to my front door. Standing there in jeans and a Henley stretched across his chest is Axel. I’m momentarily breathless.
“Hi. Do you want to come in?” I manage. I open the door wide, and he steps in. He has a picnic basket and blanket over his arm.
“Sure. This is SoBe.”
It isn’t until he’s in that I see the sleek, beautiful greyhound with him. I immediately get down on my knees and look into his big, brown eyes. I offer my hand for him to sniff, and he immediately licks it. “Welcome to my house, SoBe. Aren’t you the most handsome dog ever?”
“I know we talked about Pier 39, but I thought we might take a drive to the movies in Golden Gate Park,” Axel says. “They’re showing Up at sundown. I have a picnic dinner. Does that sound okay?”
“I think it sounds perfect. I wonder if I should change into jeans.”
“I have two blankets here in case we get cold.”
“Great.”
SoBe begins pacing, very alert. “What did you find?” Axel asks.
We hear huffing and some clicking. I smile. “He found Nuzzle, my hedgehog.” I walk to her habitat. Reaching in, I pick her up and cover her with a dark cloth to soothe her. “It’s okay, baby. You’d hurt him more than he’d hurt you.”
As soon as she leans against my chest, her quills move from angry and crossed to flat, and her huffing and clicking stops. SoBe’s curious but is behaving well.
“SoBe, this is Nuzzle. Don’t let the name fool you. She’s not about to cuddle.” I put her back in her habitat, and she gets on her wheel and runs. “Now you’re just showing off.”
SoBe soon becomes bored with Nuzzle and wanders away.
“She’s adorable,” Axel says.
“Thanks. I got her in New York years ago and didn’t even realize I couldn’t have her here.”
I hear SoBe going upstairs.
“Sorry he’s so nosy.”
I smile. “I’m sure he’s trying to see if I have a friend for him to play with hiding upstairs. I saw my friend Toni today, and she has two Malteses, Romeo and Juliet.”
“That would get him going.” Axel looks around my living room. “You have a beautiful place.”
“Thanks. I think because I grew up in New York, I love views of the water, and I enjoy the people-watching from here.”
We look out, and a man in a Speedo is roller-skating down the boardwalk. Axel turns to me wit
h one eyebrow raised. “I can see why.”
I laugh. “You’re from California. You know it’s a cereal box—the land of fruit, nuts, and flakes.”
He laughs. “So true. I’m from the southern part, and while people here like to think Northern California is so much better, the people really are all the same, and I prefer the weather in LA.”
“You’d better not tell that to Nate. He may fire Jeremy outright.”
He winks at me. “It’ll be our secret.”
“Deal.”
SoBe has rejoined us. “Sorry I don’t have anyone for you to play with,” I tell him.
He looks up at me, and I swear he’s smiling.
We settle into Axel’s Mercedes and make easy conversation as he drives to the open lawn in Golden Gate Park for our movie. I don’t even notice the traffic, though I do notice how long it takes to park. Poor Axel. When we finally arrive, the lawn is nearly full and many people are enjoying picnics.
“Have you done this before?” I ask.
“No, but my neighbor suggested it to me when my sister was coming for a visit once. He warned me that people may light up, so if you’re due for any drug tests, we’ll have to be cautious.”
I laugh. “I don’t drug test my staff. I hate to say it, but if I did, I wouldn’t have much staff left.”
“Yeah, the guys have to be careful. The league knows it’s an issue now that most states allow at least medicinal marijuana, and secondary smoke is everywhere. But until they have a test that tells us when someone used and if they used themselves or just caught some smoke, they have to be super aware.”
“That makes sense. I went to school with someone who was trying to develop that test, but he’d get so baked while working, I’m not sure he ever got very far with it.”
We agree on a spot not too far from one of the three screens, and Axel spreads out the blanket. When we sit down, SoBe immediately tries to crawl into my lap.
“No, SoBe,” Axel admonishes. SoBe looks at him, and I’d swear he’s disappointed. “I’m sorry. He’s an eighty-two-pound lap dog.”
“I can’t get over his expressions.”
“I know. It’s not hard to tell what SoBe’s thinking. My favorite is when he’s in trouble. He closes his eyes, and I swear he believes if he can’t see me, I can’t see him.”
I laugh. “That’s priceless.”
Axel digs into the basket. “Okay, this is what I have. It came from a deli not too far from my house. Hopefully, I have something you like.”
“I eat everything.”
Axel looks at me, his eyes hooded.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean… I mean… Well, you know what I mean, right?”
He grins. “I think so, yes.” He leans in. “I eat everything, too.”
I have goose bumps, and my nipples pebble beneath my dress. I definitely should have masturbated before Axel picked me up. Right now, I have this desire to lean him back on the blanket and ride him until we both climax.
I return my focus to the food, which includes cold fried chicken, as well as potato, macaroni, quinoa, and fruit salads. He opens a bottle of white wine that’s perfect.
“What did you do today?” Axel asks as we enjoy our meal.
I shrug. “I met a good friend of mine, Toni, for lunch and relaxed.”
“Is she your best friend?”
“No, that’s my sister.” I debate a moment, but I guess I should get it out in the open. “My other best friend—well, former best friend—was recently arrested.”
Axel stops chewing, his eyes big. “What happened?”
“I shared with you about what happened to Nate’s wife.”
“Yes.”
“When Cecelia disappeared and was later confirmed dead, they began working through to eliminate each of us who was with her. After three years, they arrested several of the people involved, and it’s currently snaking its way through the courts.”
His brow furrows.
“Viviana Prentis was my close friend, and she was behind Cecelia’s death. She’d been stealing state secrets from a US Senator, and Cecelia saw them together.”
“Did you know Viviana was stealing secrets?”
I shake my head. “No. But the FBI is all over those of us who were there that weekend. There’s a whole group of women who were friends with her, knew her well, and interacted with her often.”
“Do they think you’re involved?”
“No, I don’t think so. But because we spent a lot of time together, they’re working with my team to find out what she may have stolen from my company, as well as those of the other women in the group. It’s not pleasant, but thankfully, Nate doesn’t think any of us were involved. Viviana confessed to him while he was wearing a wire, but now it’s a mess because she’s fighting the charges in court.”
“Well, I’m sorry about that,” Axel says. “All of it.”
It’s finally getting dark enough that the film can start. Axel inches closer to me, and I can smell his sandalwood and citrus aftershave. I shut my eyes to commit the scent to memory. Then I smell SoBe and feel his nose wedging between us.
“Oh no you don’t,” Axel chides. “No cockblocking there, mister.”
SoBe tries the sad dog look, but Axel isn’t buying it, so he comes around to my other side and cuddles in close.
The movie begins, and I relax into Axel’s chest with one hand on SoBe. Already I wonder if we should call it a night and just go back to my place.
Chapter 10
Axel
Mia’s fingers are laced with mine as we drive back to her place. “Thank you for the movie,” I tell her.
“That was even better than I expected, and I really liked the picnic,” she says. “We’ll have to do that again sometime.”
When we arrive at her place she asks, “Are you coming in?”
I smile. “I didn’t want to presume.”
“Then I insist.” Her voice is soft and seductive, like a siren of the sea calling to me. “Come on up.”
I follow her into her house with SoBe leading the way. When I arrived earlier, I’d expected her to live in an apartment, and I was surprised to find a fairly large home right on the boardwalk that runs along the waterfront from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge.
She offers me a drink, and when I agree, she hands me a glass of Jonnie Walker Blue Label and points toward the gas fireplace. It tastes like butter. We sit down on the couch, and Mia snuggles close. I like how well she fits against me. My thumb runs a circle on her shoulder, and she sighs. I like that, too. There is music playing, and we watch the flames as they lick the artificial wood.
“Your home is beautiful,” I tell her. “How long have you lived here?”
“I’m coming up on ten years, actually. After growing up in a noisy apartment in Manhattan, I wanted to live someplace quiet with a view of the water.” She laughs. “I got the view, but the boardwalk out front is louder than you’d think with people always strolling along.”
SoBe finds a spot on the floor and seems to take in the view. After finishing our drinks, we enjoy the quiet. I imagine I can hear the sounds of the water, but I’m not sure. Mia looks up and me, her eyes dark. Leaning in, I kiss her softly, licking at the seam of her mouth. She grants me entry, and our kiss is soft but not urgent.
Then she stands, reaches for my hand, and leads me upstairs to her bedroom. I don’t notice anything other than her.
In the bedroom, she stands before me and lifts her dress over her head, leaving only a lacy pair of boy shorts behind. Her brown nipples pebble, begging to be touched. She’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Walking to me, she kisses me and reaches for the hem of my shirt, lifting it and removing it.
She caresses my chest. “You’re so beautiful.” My own nipples are laser points, and my cock is straining behind my pants. She kisses me again, her hand stroking. She does something to me. I’m so turned on that if I’m not careful I’ll blow my load right in my pants.
Leaning
down, I kiss her neck, and I can almost hear her pulse racing. Next to her bed I spot a bottle of lavender massage oil.
She follows my gaze. “You try walking in four-inch stilettos all day and tell me your calves don’t hurt.”
“Can I give you a massage?”
She looks up at me, biting her lower lip, and nods.
I want to be the one biting that lip. But if I don’t slow down, I’m not going to last long. “Take off that underwear, and lie down on your stomach.”
She turns toward the mirrored closet doors and watches me remove my wallet from my pants. I deposit three condoms on the bedside table, and she licks her lips as I drop my pants, my erection hard as a lead pipe.
“Let me know if I do something you don’t enjoy.”
She smiles lazily.
I pick up the bottle and pour oil onto the palm of my hand. Then I hold my hand over the small of Mia’s back and let the warm oil drizzle onto her bare skin. She arches slightly, and I’m struck again by the extreme beauty of Mia’s body.
She has a slight sway to her back that accentuates her gorgeous behind and creates a delicate curve that somehow reminds me of a cello. I noticed Mia’s dancer’s body when I first set eyes on her on the stage at the Flirt event. The charge of physical attraction coursed through me immediately, a surge of pheromones that had me imagining being inside her. Now that I’ve spent time with her and gotten to see what kind of person she is, my attraction has only increased.
I kneel next to Mia and ever so softly run my hand over the drizzled oil, spreading it across her lower back. Usually, I’d start on the shoulders, easing into the massage and encouraging a gradual relaxation. But with Mia, I feel compelled to go right for her lower back. And her ass. And her thighs. The way she looks at my cock, with hunger in her eyes, makes me horny as hell.
I add more oil to my palm and start to caress her butt—first one cheek and then the other. There is no pretense that this is a therapeutic massage. I squeeze sensually, exploring her body. No, this is a massage designed to arouse.
As my hands caress her upper thighs, Mia’s butt rises almost imperceptibly. She’s starting to breathe more heavily now. I watch her reactions closely, gauging the effect of every caress.
Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series Page 10
