I squealed when I discovered a tiny alcove at the back of the room. There was a waist-high refrigerator tucked under a counter with a Keurig machine, and all the fixings needed for coffee. Obviously, Bentley had drunk one; the mug still sat on the counter. Without hesitation, I used it, somehow liking the fact his lips had pressed against the porcelain earlier. Back in his closet, I grabbed a discarded T-shirt, slipped it on, found my pretty, blue shawl, a pair of his thick socks, then coffee in hand, I went exploring.
I started back on the main floor, finally trudging up to the top level. His addition of an elevator was a good idea. There were a lot of stairs to climb.
His kitchen was a dream with gleaming stainless steel, glossy cupboards, and rich quartz on the counters. The gym was well equipped with a variety of machines and weights, and the thought of him working out, building up a sweat, made me heat up. I peeked in his den, not going in. His desk must have been another antique from his parents. The bookshelves and the rest of the room were modern and clean. There was a large model of something in the middle of the space, but I didn’t go in and look.
The guest rooms were simple and sparse, and most of them appeared unused, a couple still empty. I bypassed the theater room and entered the sunroom, my breath catching in my throat. Entirely encased in glass at the back, it was heaven. Tiled floors, well-used, comfortable furniture, and a games table graced the space. A large TV hung on the wall. Fans overhead moved the air.
At the end, behind glass doors that folded flat to the wall, were steps that led down to an indoor pool. As Bentley stated, it wasn’t huge, but it was still amazing. Pots of flowers hung in the windows, growing large in the sun. I dipped my toe in, sighing at the feel of the heated water. The view was lovely with the ravine and towering trees. It was the one room I had seen to appear lived in. There were a couple of books beside an armchair. A pair of reading glasses sat on them. A well-used blanket draped over the back of the chair. This room was the private Bentley. The one no one saw. He could be comfortable and himself. I could picture him reading, relaxing, or napping. Floating in the pool and staring up at the night sky under the glass dome.
I wanted to see that and to share it with him.
I moved to his chair and sat down. I felt the way the chair was molded from his body, and I curled into the cast left by him. I shut my eyes and drifted, thinking of the day he would be here with me, curled around my body for real.
Bentley
I couldn’t concentrate. For the first time that I could ever remember, my mind wasn’t on business. All my thoughts were with the person currently asleep in my bed or probably exploring my house. She was a woman after all, and surprisingly, I didn’t care if she snooped. I wanted her comfortable in my home because I wanted her to spend a lot of time with me there. Especially, after last night.
I struggled to stop the thoughts that kept drifting through my head and failed miserably. I thought of her warmth. The way her body felt pressed to mine and the way she tasted. How she looked when she came, and the sound of my name as she cried out.
I remembered how she looked this morning, sleeping like a contented kitten in my bed. The drowsy look on her face, and the way her eyes danced as she woke up and teased me.
“I could blow you.”
My cock hardened, thinking of being in her mouth. I had been tempted. So tempted to shrug off my responsibilities and stay with her. Dive back into the bed and let her do whatever she wanted, then have her all over again. I still wanted to do that. I glanced at my watch, surprised to see it was only 9:30. Normally the day raced by for me, but today it felt as though time stood still. I could go home and have an hour with her. Maybe longer. Perhaps if I showed up, she would skip school, and we could have the whole afternoon together.
“Bent?”
I shook my head and met Maddox’s eyes.
“What do you think?”
“Sorry, I was, ah, thinking about something I forgot to do.”
“Like brush your hair this morning?” Aiden quipped. “Looks like someone’s fingers have been in it.”
Instinctively, my hand flew to my head and he grinned.
“Gotcha.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Fuck you.”
“No thanks. You’re not my type. Besides”— he grinned— “I think that’s been taken care of.”
“Don’t you—”
Aiden held up his hands, laughing. “Not doing anything, except stating the obvious.”
He knew Emmy had spent the night. He hadn’t said anything at first, aside from one raised eyebrow this morning when I got in the car, but the silence hadn’t lasted long. As soon as we arrived at the building, he disappeared into Maddox’s office. The two of them were like old women gossips, sharing information over the fence.
I glared at him, then spoke to Maddox. “You were saying?”
He chuckled. “I asked if you thought the numbers were good.”
I glanced down at the papers in front of me. “I’ll go through them this afternoon.”
“There’s another first,” Aiden observed.
My phone buzzed before I could flip him off. However, I couldn’t contain my grin when I saw Emmy’s message.
Class was canceled so Frank doesn’t need to drive me. I’ll grab the bus in a while. Just enjoying your sun for a bit longer.
She attached a picture she had taken, curled up in my favorite chair. I squinted at the screen. She was wearing one of my shirts, and unless I was mistaken, she was holding the mug I used this morning.
I stood, already dialing as I strode into my office, almost slamming the door in my haste. I cut off the loud guffaws that followed me.
Emmy’s voice was slow and lazy when she answered. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
“This room is amazing.”
“Stay.”
“What?”
“Don’t go home. Stay and be there when I’m done for the day.”
“Bentley, I have to do some school work. I need to go home and get my laptop, so I’m not going all the way there and coming back. And before you can say it, I’m not having Frank take me either.”
I grinned for two reasons. Her stubbornness, and the way she might have helped me find the excuse for her to start using the laptop I had purchased.
“Do you have your project backed up?”
“Yes, it’s on the memory stick in my, ah, bag.”
I knew she had her old rucksack tucked into her purse. I let it slide, knowing she wasn’t yet ready to tell me why she carried it everywhere.
“Go to my den, and look on the credenza.”
“You want me to go into your private den? Aren’t you afraid I will dig up some secret stuff to report on? I get a bonus if I’m fast.”
I tried not to laugh. “You aren’t much of a spy, Freddy. You missed the secret vault in my dressing room. I highly doubt your bosses are going to be very impressed with my shirt and mug as your haul for the day.”
She began to giggle. The sound was light and feminine, and it made my smile wider.
“Damn, you noticed.”
I lowered my voice. “I liked how my shirt looks on you.”
“I liked drinking from your mug. It was as if I was kissing your lips every time I took a drink.”
I groaned and let my head fall back. My body tightened and my cock lengthened at the thought of kissing her. The way her lips felt, full and plump, the feel of her tongue sliding with mine, the erotic way her sweet breath filled my mouth.
“Did I lose you?”
“You are making it damned difficult not to call Frank and have him take me straight home.”
“I’d like that. I’d like to spend more time with you.”
I paused at the honesty in her tone. “If you stay, I’ll come home early.”
She inhaled quickly. “I’m in your den.”
“There’s a laptop on the right. Blue cover.”
“Got it.”
“Plug your memory key in there
and use it. I think you’ll find it has everything you need to do your work. The password is Scone1, capital S.”
Aside from the typing of the keys, there was silence for a moment, until she spoke. “Why does this laptop have all the software I use on it?”
“I use it, as well.”
“Yet, this one looks brand new. There are no files saved on it, no work done.” I heard a few more keystrokes. “It is brand new. Winston Bentley Ridge, tell me you did not buy this laptop for me.”
I gaped into the phone and adjusted myself. Was it incredibly wrong I found her full-naming me a turn on?
“It is new because I got it yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to bring it into the office to have it set up. I thought you could use it today—or whenever you’re at my place, to save you from carrying yours back and forth. It, ah, looked heavy.”
Her sigh told me she knew I was lying.
“It’s a laptop, Freddy. One of many I have. Use it today and stay.” I waited, then went in for the kill. “Please.”
“I’m not keeping this laptop, Rigid.”
“Of course not.”
“I’ll only borrow it today.”
“Or whenever you need to.”
“It is very light.”
“It’s fast, too. Super-fast. It will help you get your work done easier.”
“Are you actually going to come home early?”
“If you’re there, yes.”
“Can I make us dinner?”
“I would love that.”
“Then, it’s a deal. See you later, dear. Go make some more millions.”
I hung up, smiling. Strangely enough, that was how I seemed to act when it came to Emmy. I glanced back at the door to the boardroom, knowing what was waiting for me. Aiden would pounce as soon as I went in, and Maddox would lean back with a knowing smirk on his face, and again, they would tease me mercilessly. I knew they were gossiping away again, anxious for my return.
I straightened my jacket, tugged on my sleeves, and prepared my game face.
That was how we showed that we cared—we gave each other a hard time. I could handle them.
Emmy was worth it.
I found her in the kitchen, the laptop open, her hand a blur holding the mouse as she created something on the screen. Music played from the speakers, the beat a low hum. The kitchen was warm, the air was pungent with garlic and spice, and whatever she was cooking contained a heady red wine. It was mouthwatering.
She was concentrating so hard, she didn’t hear me come in, and I took the time to study her. My shirt hung past her thighs revealing her shapely calves. Her small feet were encased in a pair of my socks. Both shawls were draped around her body for warmth; although, one side had slipped, pulling down the material of my shirt, showing her skin. She had her hair piled high on her head, exposing her delicate neck. Curls escaped from her messy updo, hanging around her face. She pushed them aside as she muttered to herself, and colors appeared on the screen as her design took shape. The light glinted off her ear piercings, and her musical tattoo was a dark image on her pale skin behind her ear. Her exposed shoulder showed the butterfly tattoo I had discovered last night. I remembered tracing it with my tongue, making her shiver. She had told me it was a tribute to her grandmother.
“She loved butterflies,” she whispered.
I slid behind her, wrapped my fingers around her shoulder, and dropped my face to her neck, to kiss the soft skin. At the same time, I placed the flowers I’d picked up across the laptop. She startled briefly but melted back into me. I held her tight, then she turned, throwing her arms around my neck, and pressed her mouth to mine.
I needed no further encouragement, kissing her thoroughly. It was even better than I remembered; the softness of her lips, the feel of her tongue and the taste that was just her. She grasped my shoulders, and I slipped my hands under her shirt, feeling the delicate ridges of her spine as I ran them over her skin.
I eased back, holding her to my chest.
“Welcome home,” she murmured.
“Best welcome I’ve ever had. Usually, by the time I get home, there is a plate ready with dinner on the counter and an empty house.”
She gazed up at me, her dark eyes sad. “I don’t like that.”
I stroked the skin of her cheek.
“It’s fine.”
“I guess I’ll have to change it.”
“Oh, yeah?”
She nodded, turning her face so she could kiss my hand. “Yeah.” Then, trying to lighten the mood, she grinned. “Your laptop is awesome.”
“Ah, always second to the laptop.”
“Sorry, Rigid. The hard drive is pretty impressive.”
My already aching cock swelled. Her voice, her teasing, the way her eyes expressed the emotions she felt. They all turned me on. I had been hard for her since I left that morning.
I turned her to the laptop. “Save your work, Emmy.”
“Oh?”
I leaned down and nipped her neck. “I’ll show you an impressive hard drive.”
She tapped a few keys. “Done.”
I swept her into my arms. “Good.”
Bentley
We barely made it out of the elevator. By accident, my groping fingers hit the top floor, and I went with it, carrying her to the sunroom and laying her on the deep sofa. I had pulled the clip from her hair at some point, and the waves cascaded over the cushion, almost reaching the floor. The sun glinted in the strands casting a burnished gold around her head.
I crouched over her, my erection pressing into the zipper of my dress pants, painful and needy. “As much as I like my shirt on you, it needs to come off.”
She shimmied, the shirt and shawls disappearing. Her skin was pale, the only color showing was the small peek of the butterfly wing over her shoulder, and the tiny set of teardrops tattooed over her heart. Four splatters of red, each symbolizing a person she lost, she had explained when I asked her. They spoke, without words, of the sorrow she carried. She etched her heartache onto her skin, embedding the pain there forever. She kept all her tattoos private. Even her musical tattoo was hidden most of the time. That one, she informed me, was for her. She loved music and constantly had it playing everywhere.
Bending low, I kissed the ink, then slid my mouth down, covering her nipple, and sucked, teasing the peak with my tongue. She gasped, arching up, and used her hands to push off my suit jacket. Our mouths met in a series of blistering, intense kisses. Hot, wet, mind-blowing caresses. I needed more of them. More of her. Everything she could give me.
She yanked and pulled on my tie, fumbled with my buttons, and tugged on my belt. Unable to break from her mouth, I helped her, until we were at last naked and pressed together, our bodies melded. Cradled in between her legs, she was slick and ready. She lifted her hips, as the blunt head of my cock rubbed against her. The searing heat of her, made me groan—I wanted her so fucking much.
“Condom,” I gasped.
“Where?”
I wanted to scream in frustration. “My room.”
“Why aren’t you a typical bachelor who hides condoms all over his house in case?”
“In case?”
“In case of situations like this!”
Her words made me stop. They broke the intensity of the moment and made me grin. “I’m not your typical bachelor, Freddy. I’ve never encountered a ‘situation like this’ before now.”
“Never?”
“No. You’re the first woman who has stayed here.”
She leaned up, kissing me hard. “I like that. I hope you’re fast then.”
“I was first in the hundred-yard sprint in high school.”
“I want to see a repeat. I need you inside me.”
I was certain I broke the record. I was back and on her in thirty seconds flat. I held up the condoms.
“Six?” she asked, lifting that sexy eyebrow of hers.
“In case,” I replied, covering her mouth, getting us right back to the moment.
“Oh God. . .”
“Yes. Come for me, Emmy. Let go, baby.”
I buried my face in her neck, letting the intensity overtake me. My cock swelled as she came, fluttering and tight around me. Pleasure tore through me, my balls tightening, and I pushed her legs apart, slipping in deeper and coming hard. I cursed and shook with my orgasm. She gripped my hair, and our mouths joined, deep and desperate at first, then slowly becoming gentler. Sweeter. Light.
I rolled, taking her with me, and pinned her between the back of the sofa and my chest.
She sighed, laying her head on my shoulder. Silence surrounded us, the room light with the afternoon sun. The woman I was holding, sated and content. I was the same.
It was an odd feeling, and yet, I liked it.
Emmy looked relaxed as she drifted in the water. After we rolled from the sofa, I had convinced her to stop getting dressed, and that a swim would feel good.
A naked one.
She didn’t bat an eye, dropping my shirt and racing to the pool. I had turned up the water heater the previous night, so I knew it was warm. Add in the sun shining through the glass, the room was comfortable for her, and she was enjoying herself as she relaxed.
I was enjoying the view. I pulled the floating lounge closer and kissed her tempting mouth.
“Cami wants to have coffee before class tomorrow,” she said, running her fingers through my damp hair. “No doubt she will pump me for information.” She looked shy suddenly. “She was rather surprised to find out I was still here today when she texted me.”
Vested Interest Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 10
