“Jesus, Emma. You’re so wet.” The words fall from his lips in a groan.
I stop him with a hand to his chin. I don’t have anything to say, but my lips part as if I’ll find the words to tell him that this is everything. This moment is more to me than a fuck. I’m reclaiming a part of me that I left behind in my search for love.
“I’ll take it slow.” He laughs. “Or not.”
Locking eyes with him, I smile. “Or hard and fast.”
His eyes darken as he shifts his body until the crown of his cock is sliding over my sex.
I cry out when he pushes into me in one solid thrust.
“Easy,” he whispers. “Nice and easy.”
I wrap my legs around him, trying to lessen any distance between us. I want to feel all of him. I want this man to feel all of me.
His hand snakes beneath my ass to tilt my body to just the right angle before he thrusts once, and then again. And then over and over until I’m lost to every sensation and every sound we make.
He squeezes the flesh of my ass, his fingers digging into me as he takes me with hard, measured strokes.
Each pump of his cock sinks deeper than the last.
I moan as he kisses my neck. I lose my breath when he pins my shoulder to the bed and grinds into me.
“Feel it,” he bites out through clenched teeth. “Feel me inside of you. So fucking deep.”
We lock eyes as I clench around him. I can’t control anything. I feel everything, and when his teeth latch onto my nipple, I fly over the edge and climax in a shudder that leaves me breathless.
“Fuck,” he grunts as he rides me through my orgasm.
I hold tightly to him. His eyes lock on mine as his jaw tenses, and he lets out a guttural sound that shoots straight to my core.
I come again just as I feel the heat of his release.
“Please,” he breathes through slow strokes as he empties himself into the condom. “That was too much. Fuck, that was so much.”
It was everything.
Resting his lips against my neck, he draws in heavy breaths as I cradle him in my arms and wish, more than anything, that I could stop time and stay in this moment forever.
Chapter 49
Case
I crack open an eye to find Emma with her phone in hand.
“Are you trying to grab a dick pic?” I perk a brow. “You could at least wait until it’s semi-hard, Freckles. I don’t want a picture of my limp cock making the rounds in Seattle.”
Shaking her head, she lets out a laugh. “No.”
“That’s a shame.” I drop a hand to circle my now semi-hard cock. “This one deserves to be admired.”
Her gaze follows the movement of my hand. “I won’t argue with that.”
I brush my fingers over her hip before I roll on my side to face her. “What’s with the phone in the bed?”
Her eyes search my face. I can tell a question is sitting on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be asked.
Cupping her chin in my hand, I lower my voice. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Emma.”
“I take pictures of things I want to remember for my scrapbook.” Her bottom lip trembles before she sinks her teeth into it to halt it. “Can I take a couple of you? Maybe from the waist up?”
I want her to remember me. I want to be a constant in her memory to even things out because I know I won’t get through another day of my life without thinking about her.
Resting my head on the pillow, I gaze into her eyes. “I’m in as long as you do something for me.”
“You don’t have to negotiate that.” She bats her hand over my bicep. “I was going to suck you right after the photo shoot. Maybe in the shower?”
My dick hardens.
We both gaze down.
“I see you like that idea.” She laughs, leveling her phone so the camera is centered on my face.
“I fucking love that idea, but I want that and more.”
I want it all. I want her.
I tuck my forearm over my face and peek at her as she snaps a photo.
“I want to see all of you, Rush.”
“Sing to me.” I inch my arm down.
The faint sound of the shutter of the phone’s camera fills the air.
She looks past the phone to lock eyes with me. “You want me to sing to you?”
With the back of my hand grazing my lips, I smile. “Do it.”
She does. She starts a song about love and affection. Her voice is carrying the tune in a way it hasn’t before.
Or maybe I wasn’t listening to the lyrics the last time I heard her sing.
It’s beautiful. It reaches deep inside of me, and when she takes the last picture, I’m staring at her in awe.
The song winds down with a pound of her fist into the bed’s sheet as she almost hits a high note.
I’m on her then. My hands glide over her skin, my lips are on her mouth, and as I hold her next to me, I breathe in the sweet scent of her.
I don’t deserve this moment in time, but I’ll take it.
I’ll savor it, and I’ll remember it forever.
***
Reaching around to cup her tit in my hand, I drive my dick into her.
Her cheek pushes into the tiles of the shower stall. “Fuck me.”
She first whispered the words when I yanked her up from her knees as I was on the brink of blowing my load down her throat.
I wanted inside her, so as desperate as I was, I marched through the bathroom and into the main suite of my bedroom to grab a condom. Water dripped from me with every step.
With shaking hands, I sheathed myself on the way back, and without a word, I pushed her against the wall of the shower as hot water beat over us.
I took her hard, and unashamedly, not caring if she was ready.
She was.
I slid in easily, and when I found my rough rhythm, she met it with thrusts of her own, each punctuated with a moan.
“You’re so fucking tight,” I hiss out the words.
Her head falls against my shoulder, so I cup a hand around the front of her neck and draw her closer. I’m desperate to feel my mouth on hers.
A fierce kiss on her lips sends her hips back. “Harder, Case.”
I sink my fingers into the flesh of her waist as I pump harder and faster until she comes with a powerful shudder, her hands reaching back to claw at my skin.
My release is one thrust behind as I rest my head against hers and groan her name.
Chapter 50
Emma
I gaze down at the pictures I took of Case this morning. I see joy in his eyes.
I don’t know if it’s because of the sex. I hope part of it is just because of me.
“Who the hell is that?”
I look up to find Bella standing over me. I drop my phone into my lap. “No one.”
“No one?” She takes the empty seat across from me. “That’s him, isn’t it? That’s your brother’s best friend?”
I glance around the interior of Calvetti’s. It’s just after noon.
I came here after Bella sent me a text this morning asking what I had lined up for lunch. Since Case had to go to work, I messaged her back, agreeing to meet at her grandma’s restaurant.
Case arranged for Drake’s driver to bring me here even though I insisted that I was enjoying learning the intricacies of the subway.
Our plan is to meet at his office later.
“It looks like he’s shirtless in that.” Bella wiggles her fingers at me. “Is he in a bed? Give me your phone. I want to see.”
Shaking my head, I glance toward where her grandma is standing. “Let’s talk about something else, this feels…”
“Marti knows about sex.” She laughs. “How do you think she ended up with so many kids?”
Chuckling, I scoop the phone back into my palm and hold the screen toward her so she can see the last image of Case that I took.
Leaning forward, her gaze darts from the screen to my face. “He’s gor
geous, Emma. Do you see how he’s looking at you?”
I turn the phone back so I can stare at the picture. “He looks happy, doesn’t he?”
“I don’t know him, but that is the face of a very content man.” Leaning her elbows on the table, she lowers her voice. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”
Even though I only met Bella recently, I feel close to her.
There’s something about her that is disarming. I know I can trust her.
“Last night.”
The corners of her lips curve up. “You look happy too.”
Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. “It was the best. I mean, by far, the absolute best I’ve ever had.”
“It’s incredible when that happens, isn’t it?” She lowers her chin. “My first time with Barrett blew my mind. I couldn’t think straight. I could barely walk straight.”
My knees trembled after I came in the shower this morning, so Case carried me back to the bed. He toweled me dry before he crawled between my legs and ate me to an orgasm.
After he dressed in a navy blue suit and a white button-down shirt, he watched me choose a pair of jeans and a red blouse. I felt nothing but happiness as he helped me dress, kissing the skin between my breasts before he buttoned my blouse.
This morning couldn’t have been any more perfect than it was.
“I’m glad you went for it.” She glances at Marti as she approaches. “My grandma always says that you can’t win if you don’t take the chance.”
They’re wise words, but I can’t win.
Soon, I’ll board a plane and head back to Seattle with only the memories of last night.
“What can I get for you beautiful girls?” Marti slides a hand over Bella’s hair.
“I could go for the avocado pesto linguine.” Bella looks at me. “How about you, Emma?”
“That sounds delicious.”
“You’ll both have the lamb ragu.” Marti starts toward the kitchen. “I made it myself.”
Watching her walk away, I laugh. “Did she just veto your order?”
“Our order,” Bella corrects me with a wink. “Consider yourself an honorary Calvetti. You know you’re part of the family when my grandma feeds you what she thinks you need, instead of what you want.”
***
I wait to approach Elias until he ends the call he’s on.
He’s not the same assistant that my brother had last year, but I like him. I know he’s been helpful to Drake and that matters to me.
“Emma.” He pushes back from his desk, adjusting the collar of the striped blue button-down shirt he’s wearing. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too.” I glance past his shoulder to the open door of Drake’s office. “Is Case busy?”
Nodding, he shoves his hand into the front pocket of his gray pants. “He’s in a meeting with Human Resources. Give him another twenty minutes and he’ll be back.”
I can wait. I want to wait.
“You’re welcome to take a seat in your brother’s office.” Elias gestures to the open office door. “I’ll grab you something to drink. There’s coffee or tea in the break room. I can get a soda from the machine down the hall if you want.”
“Thank you, but I’m good.”
Breezing past him, I walk into Drake’s office. I should sit in one of the chairs facing his desk, but I plop myself into the chair behind the desk so I can see Case as he approaches.
Dropping my purse on the floor, I lean back and take in the office.
It’s expansive. The furniture is modern and sleek.
There’s no way that Drake chose any of this. This looks like it was plucked out of Sandy’s brain. My best friend has the magic touch when it comes to interior design. The things she could do with an apartment in New York would blow my mind.
An apartment in New York where I’d build a life with Case.
I chase that thought away with a sigh. That can never be. He lives in California. I belong in Seattle.
Or I did once.
I’m not sure where home is anymore.
Chapter 51
Case
I could get used to seeing this.
I watch Emma as she sits behind her brother’s desk. She’s twirling a pen between her fingers as she hums a tune that sounds like pure heaven to me.
It also sounds a hell of a lot like the theme music to Gem Stars.
I only know that because Drake played it over and over for me before he finally approved it.
I join in, humming a few beats.
Her head pops up. The smile that blooms on her lips grips my heart. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, you,” I repeat back in a soft tone. “I didn’t expect to see you for a couple of hours.”
Her gaze drops back to the desk and the open file folder in front of her.
It’s the blue folder that contains some of the most brilliant ideas her brother has ever come up with. I was skimming through it again before I was called to HR.
“How has your day been?” I keep the conversation light because Elias is less than ten feet away with his ear tuned to us.
This guy gives Lester a run for his money.
If he’s reporting anything back to Drake, I want it to all be rated PG.
“I had lunch with Bella.” Her gaze drifts up. “Calvetti’s has spoiled me for Italian food. How will I ever go back to a chain restaurant that serves warmed up pasta again?”
“I’ll courier Marti’s lasagna to you in Seattle whenever you crave it.”
It’s meant as a joke, but her expression shifts. She covers it quickly with an awkward grin. “Or I could just ask Bella for the family recipe.”
I laugh. “I think Marti will take all her recipes to the grave.”
Emma half-shrugs a shoulder. “I’ll experiment in the kitchen when I get home.”
I almost volunteer to be her taste tester, but that’s not going to happen.
Her hand pats one of the papers in the folder. “Drake keeps notes on the things we talk about.”
I take two measured steps into my office so I can shut the door and cut off Elias’s access to this conversation because what the fuck did Emma just say ?
Lowering my voice, I ask the obvious question. “What do you mean?”
Her lips curve up. “Drake and I brainstorm sometimes. My educational expertise helps him flesh out ideas. I’m happy to help.”
I skim the paper in front of her. It’s the detailed notes on an app for kids. The premise is genius. The child gets to dictate the direction of various stories with their gameplay. It’s based on the child’s reading level. As they progress, more words are added to the game’s vocabulary.
“You helped him with that idea?” I point to the paper.
She nods. “This is Vary Tales. I wouldn’t say I helped him with the idea. This one is all mine.”
With a swipe of the pen in her hand across the top of the paper, she writes Vary Tales .
“Vary Tales?” I ask, curious where the idea was born.
“Our grandmother’s maiden name was Vary, and she always made up stories to tell us.” She traces a fingertip over the words she just wrote. “I thought it was fitting that we name the app after her since she was the inspiration. It’s an obvious play on fairy tales. Whenever I come up with a new story idea for this I send it to Drake. I’ve sent dozens over the last six months, but he only has a few written down on this paper.”
If we take this to market, she deserves credit and compensation.
This is her idea.
She’s the creative mind behind it.
I stare at the folder, realization hitting me like a freight train. “Did you have a hand in any of the other ideas in there?”
Her fingers flip through the papers in the folder. She yanks one out and places it on top. “This one is mine.”
Before I can get my eyes on what it is, another paper is on top of it. “This one too.”
Scrubbing a hand over the back of my neck, I curse under my brea
th.
“Oh, and this one.” She pats her palm on yet another paper.
Every fucking paper in that folder that has some tie to education is Emma’s idea.
“My favorite idea isn’t here.” Her lips dip into a frown. “Drake was so excited about it. I’m surprised he didn’t keep the notes I gave him.”
He probably already developed the damn thing and collected a huge bonus from me for all ‘ his’ hard work.
I drop into one of the chairs in front of Drake’s desk. “Tell me about that.”
“It’s an app to help kids learn basic reading comprehension. It’s a simple concept.”
I want more details, so I roll my hand in the air. “Go on.”
“If they line up the letters to spell a word, they uncover a picture related to another word that starts with the same letter. It’s all about sound association.” She smiles. “Spell Snake was the working name because I thought it would be adorable to have an animated snake guide the kids through the game.”
I feel like I’ve jumped into the deep end of a pool without any sense of which direction I need to swim to hit the water’s surface.
“The app would mainly help kids prepare for kindergarten and first grade, but there are levels beyond that.” Her gaze drops back to the desk. “Drake thought it might be too simplistic, but I think it has merit.”
It has millions of dollars invested in its launch weeks from now.
Letter Leap is expected to gross more than any educational product we’ve developed based on early interest in it. Our preliminary testing showed that kids love the animated frog that narrates the game.
That app wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Emma’s ideas.
I need to make this right and that happens now.
Chapter 52
Emma
Case slides to his feet and rounds the desk toward me.
Are we about to have sex?
Is he going to swipe an arm over the desk to clear it before he strips me and takes me right here and now?
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