by Serena Grey
I follow her gaze. Now that I have something to celebrate, dancing sounds like the best thing in the world. “Well, come on then.” I get up and take her hand, and we join the rest of the guests.
The hardest thing is leaving her and driving back to the city alone, but she’s spending the night at her parents’ place and won’t let me steal her away.
I call her as soon as I get home, not yet willing to let the magic of the night end—the magic of dancing with her under the stars, kissing her goodnight, hearing her say she loves me.
“Are you home?” she asks.
“Yes, just got here. Are you in bed?”
“Yes.”
I glance at my empty bed.
“You should have come with me. Say you will and I’ll come right back to get you.”
She laughs. “You waited two weeks—what’s one more day?”
I sigh. “I’ll make you forget about those two weeks. I promise you that.”
“Knowing your methods, can I just say I’m looking forward to that?”
“Say anything, baby.” I’m laughing, happy. “When I get you here tomorrow, the only thing you’ll be saying is my name.”
“Maybe I’ll run away.”
“I’ll find you. No matter where you go.”
She sighs. “I love you.”
My heart fills. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. “I love you too.”
Chapter 31
She loves me.
She’s mine.
And I love her too, more than life itself.
The next few weeks, I can barely let her out of my sight. I’m the happiest man in the world and it’s all because of her.
Not long after her engagement party, Laurie announces her plans to move out of their apartment to be with Brett. Rachel is heartbroken, but I finally convince her to move in with me.
That’s not the only big move in her life. She leaves Gilt Travel and moves to its more respected sister publication, Gilt Review, where she has always wanted to build a career.
But I am the lucky one. I’m the one who gets to wake up beside her every morning and fall asleep with her in my arms.
She loves me.
“How was your farewell party?” I ask her. We’re on our way to the theater for Aidan’s opening night, and she is breathtaking in a black dress and her signature barely there makeup.
I love you, Rachel.
“I shed a few tears,” she says with a sad smile. “But I consoled myself with the thought that I’m moving on to bigger and better things.”
I chuckle. I know leaving Gilt Travel and all her friends is bound to be hard for her, but she’ll be in the same building, close to them, so it’s not that bad. “I love how happy you look at the prospect of editing short stories. It’s charming.”
“Oh, shut up.” She punches my arm, laughing. “We can’t all build hotels all over the world. This is my equivalent, if you really want to know. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do…well, after I changed my mind from undercover agent and racecar driver.”
“You’re an excellent under the covers agent,” I concede.
She tries to maintain a disapproving expression, but she can’t help the smile tugging at her lips. “I…I have no idea what to say to that.”
“What?” I’m laughing. “It’s a compliment! When I was little, I wanted to be Superman.”
“You and every other little boy.”
“Well, after a while, I decided I wanted to be a pilot. I distinctly remember that. And not just any pilot, one of those World War II Navy pilots.” I chuckle, remembering my short-lived childhood. The darker memories soon follow. “Then I just wanted Aidan to start talking again.”
Rachel places a soft kiss on my lips. “You’ve been an awesome big brother.”
“I know.” I laugh softly, thinking of Aidan. “These days I can’t get him to shut up.”
Outside the theater, Aidan’s name is prominently placed on the playbills, and I can’t hide my pride. It’s been a long journey to this point, and now, more than ever, I’m convinced we can both make it past all the darkness.
Inside, there’s a press junket and a red carpet in the circulation area. After we take pictures and meet a few people, I’m relieved when Wilson and Betsy Hayes join us, and we go to our seats.
I’ve already seen the play a couple of times, but like all theater productions, there are always a few changes from the last performance. Still, it’s the kind of play that doesn’t get old no matter how many times it’s seen.
You did it, Aidan.
We did it.
Beside me, Rachel watches with rapt attention, and when the final curtain drops, she leaps to her feet, taking part in the loud applause.
Back outside, the excitement is palpable. There are congratulations and handshakes and talks of Tony nominations. McKay is practically bursting with happiness, and I don’t blame him. His daughter has cemented her position among the stars, and I have an idea how that feels.
Betsy and Wilson leave early, and amid all the conversations with people who want to talk to me, even Ava shows up for a moment.
If I were placing bets, I’d say it’s already over.
Well, she was wrong, as I’m sure she already knows, guessing from her lack of surprise at seeing me with Rachel.
I’m much too happy to gloat, and she doesn’t say much to me, or to Rachel.
“Time to go congratulate Aidan,” I tell Rachel, leading her to the chaos backstage. Actors and theater staff are running all over the place, and there are flowers everywhere, especially in front of the door marked with Liz McKay’s name. An assistant stands there like a guard, accepting new deliveries and sending people away.
At the end of the hall, Aidan’s small office is empty. I pull out my phone to call him just as the door to Liz’s room opens, and he emerges, almost stumbling over the flowers and the beleaguered assistant. I don’t have to guess what he’s been up to. It’s obvious in his disheveled hair and rumpled clothes.
Still, he hurries over and hugs Rachel.
“The play was marvelous,” she tells him. “You must be so proud.”
He grins. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not ecstatic, because I am. Though, I’m disappointed my brother is no longer duty-bound to get me drunk and procure the services of a couple of hardworking women.” He chuckles self-mockingly. “That was going to be my consolation if the play bombed.”
I let my eyes drift over his disheveled clothes. “I believe you’ve consoled yourself fairly well,” I say with a smirk.
His smile slips, but only for a moment.
“I think it’s great that you worked out your differences with Elizabeth,” Rachel declares. “You’ll be working with her for a while, obviously.”
He makes a sound that could be agreement then glances back at the rapidly increasing offerings of flowers. “Yes. It’s great.” He unlocks the door to his office. “Dennis McKay is hosting a party tonight to celebrate the opening,” he tells us, cheerful again. “Do you guys want to come?”
I shake my head. My association with the theater crowd is limited to Aidan and a few others. “Since I no longer have to get you drunk, I’m only here to applaud you. Go to your party and enjoy your success. You’ll be the toast of the evening.”
With no warning, he puts his arms around me. “Thank you,” he whispers.
I close my eyes and hug him back, silent.
After handing him my gift, a watch my grandfather gave my father when he started running the hotels, I leave with Rachel.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks me in the car on our way back home.
I shake my head. “Just Aidan.” I sigh. “The direction his career is going to go now…”
She frowns. “It’s going to get bigger from what I can see. I’m sure you’re very proud.”
“Oh I am, but I’m also worried. The pressure on him will be so much. He has to follow success with success.”
“But you have fait
h in him?”
“Yes, but…” I search for words to explain my fears. “Aidan is very prone to depression. He’s struggled with it since…almost his whole life.”
Rachel is silent. “Success makes some people depressed, Landon, but not all of them. I’m sure Aidan can handle it.” She squeezes my hand. “Tonight, you should be celebrating, not thinking about the past.”
I touch her cheek, wondering what I did to deserve my personal angel. “You’re right.”
She searches my face. “How can I take your mind off it?”
I’m instantly at attention. “You know how.”
Her eyes light up with mischief, and with a chuckle, she hikes up her dress and comes up to straddle me, her knees on either side of my thighs. She places her hands on my shoulders and smiles down at me. “Tell me what you want.”
I pull in a breath, and her scent fills my senses. “First, I want you to stay right where you are.”
“Done.” She grinds against the front of my pants, rubbing on my already rigid erection. I exhale.
“The drive’s not long enough for what I want to do to you.”
“I know.” She grins. “I’m just teasing you.”
Temptress. I stroke my hands over her ribs then cup her breasts over her clothes. She leans forward to kiss me and I seize her lips eagerly, stroking my tongue against hers until she’s moaning into my mouth.
Under her dress, I find the damp crotch of her panties and press my fingers over the soft fabric. She sighs and arches, inviting me to touch her some more. I move the barrier of her underwear aside and my fingers slip over her wet folds, teasing her gently before sliding inside her.
I love that I’m the one who gets to touch her like this, who gets to make her moan with pleasure. She moves her hips, urging my fingers deeper. Just then, the limo stops. I hear Joe step out of the car, and with a sigh, she scrambles off me and fixes her dress.
Outside the car, I take her hand as we walk to the elevator. She’s flushed and beautiful, and I can barely wait until we’re alone to show her the plans I’ve made for her pleasure tonight. As the elevator goes up, I hold her gaze then raise my fingertips to my lips and lick them.
She lets out a moan.
“What?” My smile is innocent.
“Stop driving me crazy.”
I step over to where she’s standing and bring her flush against my body so she can feel just how much I want her. “Never.”
As soon as the elevator stops and the doors open, I lift her into my arms and carry her upstairs to our bedroom, where a bottle of champagne is chilling in a bucket along with covered dishes.
I lay her on the bed, and she props herself up on her elbows on the soft mattress, looking around before giving me a quizzical look. “We’re celebrating?”
“Yes.” I shrug off my jacket then dim the lights and turn on music from hidden speakers. The low sound of vintage jazz fills the room and her lips curve.
“Aidan’s success?”
I nod. “And you and me.” I pop the champagne and pour out two glasses. Joining her on the bed, I hand her one, clinking mine against it in a toast. “To you and me. To us.”
“Us,” she echoes softly.
I feed her in between kisses, undressing her as we eat. Soon, we’re both naked, and I nudge her back on the bed. I have one more surprise for her tonight.
She watches, curious as I retrieve a box from a drawer in the nightstand.
“What’s that?”
“Shhh.” I kiss her again then, taking both her hands, I stretch them over her head. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
Good, because I plan to give her pleasure like she’s never felt before. “Close your eyes.”
She does as I say, staying silent as I bind her wrists lightly, then her legs.
“Can I open my eyes now?” Her voice is breathy.
I position myself between her legs. “Yes.”
Her eyes open and land on me. A soft moan escapes her lips.
“How do you feel?”
She sighs. “Expectant?”
We haven’t even started. I reach back into the box for a special toy, fastening it so the small velvety nub is directly over her clit. Then I turn it on, and she gasps.
“Oh my God!”
“Do you like it?”
She moans again, her legs stretching and tightening as the vibrations intensify.
“Tell me you like it.”
“I love it,” she murmurs.
Smiling, I cover her body with mine and take her lips then trail downward, giving attention to her nipples while drawing one hand down between her legs so I can slip a finger inside her wet core.
Her body is shaking. “Landon…”
“You’re perfect,” I tell her. So fucking perfect. I drop a kiss on her smooth belly and withdraw my finger from inside her. She moans, and I shush her gently, reaching inside the box again. Retrieving the small lubricated and vibrating tube from inside, I slide it between the curves of her ass and inside the tight opening between her cheeks.
She cries out. “Landon!”
“Hmm.” I drink in her pleasure. “How does it feel?”
“So good.” A shudder rocks her body and she moans. “I’m going to come. I’m coming.”
I slip my finger back inside her and she cries out, shaking helplessly as pleasure takes over. I cover her mouth with mine, taking her moans and her cries. Long after her body stops shuddering, she’s still moaning, her arms and legs straining against the bonds. Her eyes follow me as I settle on my knees between her legs.
“I want you inside me,” she says breathlessly. “Please fuck me.”
She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I feel her pleasure the moment I surge into her. She’s wet and hot, soft as petals, and so tight, so welcoming.
I want to stay inside her forever.
She screams my name over and over while I make love to her. Her body shudders as she comes again and again. When I can no longer hold back, I follow, losing my senses as I surrender all of myself.
Later, she lies plaint while I untie her and remove the toys. She curls against my side, and I place tender kisses all over her face and hair. Soon, she is asleep, breathing softly as exhaustion takes over.
“I love you,” I whisper in her ear. “I love you forever.”
Chapter 32
“We were at the theater earlier and Aidan showed us around. Things are not as crazy as they were the week before the play, so we got to meet most of the people in the production.” Betsy smiles across the table at Rachel and me. “That Liz Mckay is such a charming girl. I can see why Aidan is crazy about her.”
“At least he admits it now.” I chuckle. “I can’t tell you how many times I had to listen to him complain about how hard it was to work with her.”
Wilson laughs. “Typical Aidan.”
“Sometimes attraction can get mistaken for dislike,” Betsy says.
“That’s what I said.” Rachel is smiling as she meets my eyes. She guessed right the first night she saw Aidan and Liz at the preview. I squeeze her hand under the table.
There’s a lot to talk about, and it’s relaxing to take my mind off work and be with the people I love.
We’re having dessert when I look across the restaurant and, from a few tables away, see Evans Sinclair glaring at me.
To tell the truth, I couldn’t care less about Evans. I’m more concerned about his dinner companion, Devlin Barkely, the chairman of a hotel conglomerate. He’s also Sinclair’s godfather. The older man follows Sinclair’s gaze to mine and bares his teeth at me in what is supposed to be a smile.
Beside me, Rachel has noticed Sinclair, and she gives me a worried frown.
I smile. “More wine?”
She nods and I refill her glass.
Determined not to let thoughts of Sinclair ruin my mood, I focus on my companions, answering Wilson’s questions about the Newport hotel. We’re still talking when Barkely approaches our table.
“Rachel Foster, my girlfriend,” I say drily. “And Betsy Hayes, Wilson’s wife.”
“I’m charmed,” he tells Betsy. “I tried to hire your husband away from the Courts a long time ago. He wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“He was happy where he was,” Betsy replies.
Barkely’s smile doesn’t waver as he turns back to me. “I stopped to congratulate you on your accomplishment with the Gold Dust. I have every confidence in your continued success.”
I study him for a moment. I know how to fight for what’s mine, but I don’t court enemies, and I know certain people are formidable enemies to have. Barkely isn’t just the head of a powerful conglomerate with the means to bully, blackmail, and arm-twist other organizations, he’s also a shrewd businessman.
Shrugging, I keep my voice level. “Your choice of dinner companion doesn’t give me much confidence in your words.”
He chuckles and glances back at the table he just left, where Sinclair is glowering in our direction like the little goblin he is. “Evans is my godson. I owe him a fair hearing, but I owe it to myself to make sound judgments.” He smiles. “Have a good evening.”
He leaves us, and after a few moments, Sinclair follows toward the exit, swaying from too much wine and whatever else he has imbibed. He flips me off as he goes, but I ignore him.
“Who was the other guy?” Rachel asks once they’re gone.
“He’s the chairman of a conglomerate that acquires and manages hotel chains,” I explain.
Her brow furrows. “Acquires? Like takeovers?”
“Yes.” Wilson’s voice is grave. “They take the soul out of hotels and kill them with so-called efficiency. Sinclair there was probably trying to get him to try to acquire Swanson Court International from under Landon’s feet.”
“If he can.” Betsy’s voice is dismissive, and her confidence in me is bolstering.
