Chapter Forty-Five
Blake
1.5 years later
“This place is incredible. You have the best coffee. I’m going to tell all my friends to come here!”
A new customer at Indi’s café-slash-bookstore fawned over Indi at the counter as she paid for her morning coffee. I watched Indi graciously thank her, pride swelling in my heart. Her shop really was incredible, and she did it all without needing to cripple herself in debt.
After the I Do Or Die scandal a year and a half ago, the TV network had been forced to pay out a large amount of compensation money to all the participating contestants due to the events that had occurred. It was either that or face a huge lawsuit, given that some of the contestants were still suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress after everything they’d been put through. Apparently it worked out cheaper and easier for the network to simply settle with the contestants for the compensation rather than let it go to court, even though it was a pretty substantial figure that ended up being divided between us.
Indi refused to take my share, as I knew she would even when I offered. But I already had enough money of my own, so we eventually reached a compromise upon my insistence—I would put the money in an investment account, and the dividends would pay for a small ongoing advertising campaign for her revamped store. After all, as her future husband, I wanted to help her out in some way, even if it was just something small due to her strong-willed nature and stubborn independence.
I loved that about her, but I also loved that she allowed me to help once in a while now that her barriers were down. She’d finally let me in, just like I always wanted her to.
She used her own share of the network money to make all the changes in her store that she’d dreamed of for so long, instead of taking out a massive bank loan to pay for it. Part of the store had been renovated into a coffee shop with white furniture and adorable décor which made it look like it came straight from a Pinterest page. The far side had been set up with a line of tablets where people could browse through online bookstores, along with a few aisles of print books, and the middle had been set up as an event area where authors and other people in the book industry could hold book signings, readings, and other similar events.
Interest from authors had been drummed up by a massive online social media campaign, and before the grand reopening seven months ago, Indi already had over a hundred authors booked for events over the following year.
It wasn’t just authors, either. Quite a few other people involved in the e-book industry practically begged her for advertising or exposure. For example, one particular woman created pretty handmade e-reader covers that protected the devices from scratches but also looked awesome. She was paying Indi a small amount per month to feature the covers in her store, right near the main counter.
I was so proud of Indi. She’d taken a few ideas and applied them to what was essentially a dying industry, and she’d turned her entire career around. If I didn’t watch out, she’d be coming after my job next…
There was a line outside the café now, buzzing in anticipation of a release party that a famous indie romance author—Elly Beaumont—had booked for the day.
Indi peeked out from behind the counter, looking as gorgeous as ever in tight black jeans and a purple sweater. “I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to put Elly down for this date,” she said anxiously. “I’m not sure the staff can handle it all without me here.”
Technically she wasn’t supposed to be here at all today. She’d booked herself the day off (and the next two weeks as well), and the four staff members she’d hired were meant to be taking care of things. She wanted to come in this morning anyway, just to make sure everything was running smoothly before we left on a road trip to Lakewater, but she didn’t look convinced.
I grinned. “You worry too much. Everything’s fine. Your girls can handle it. I should know; I helped cherry-pick them from the pile of résumés you got before you reopened the place.”
She smiled and shook her head. “You’re right. They’ll handle it. I’m just worried about everything at the moment. You know why,” she said with a sheepish smile.
“Because of what day it is?”
She nodded. “It’s a huge day, isn’t it?”
I stepped closer to her, sliding my arms around her. “Everything will go perfectly. Dawson and Cinta have it all worked out. I promise. They’ve been sending me photos for the last three days straight.”
Indi nodded and let out a deep sigh of relief. “You always know how to calm me down and make me feel better.”
“I have other ways,” I said, spinning her around and giving her an impish smile and wink.
She lifted her brows. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. Want me to show you?”
Her eyes crinkled with amusement. “Let me guess…your ‘way’ involves us sneaking into the back storeroom for a quickie?”
“I’m shocked and appalled that you would think that of me,” I declared. Then I leaned closer and murmured in her ear. “But yes, that’s correct.”
She checked her watch. “Probably bad luck to say this or even do it… but I think I could squeeze you in for a few minutes.”
“Hopefully more than just a few minutes.”
She smiled. “Don’t push your luck,” she said teasingly, before glancing around. “Okay, let’s go.”
We hurried to the back storeroom and locked the door behind us.
“Kiss me,” Indi murmured.
I leaned down and did as she said. Her lips were warm, and her tongue traced my mouth. I met it with my own, deepening our kiss until we were worked up into a dizzy, frenetic embrace. Our hands tore at each other’s clothes, tugging until we were in our underwear.
I pulled back and reached one hand behind Indi, fiddling with the clasp of her bra. She shrugged off the lacy cups, and I groaned at the sight before me. Her rosy nipples were crinkled into stiff peaks, and she smiled at me devilishly as she reached for my boxers, which were already tented.
“Go on,” she said, cupping my cock through my pants. “Make me feel better.”
“Gladly,” I growled. I picked her up, and she gasped as I set her down on a stack of boxes, supporting her body with my left arm as my right hand tore at her panties. My cock was throbbing, thick and heavy with need.
Indi’s hands raked over my chest as I positioned myself at her entrance. I slipped inside her with a groan, my cock swallowed up in warm heavenly pleasure. Her eyes widened, and she let out a gasp which turned into a long and happy sigh. “Oh, god…Blake…”
I leaned forward, still holding her in my arms on the stack as I thrust harder and deeper. Her lips sought out mine as she bucked her body back and forth against my movements, and I brought one hand around to her front again, finding her left nipple and squeezing it as we kissed, my cock sliding in and out, both of us gasping.
The world became sensations and flashes of light, my mind practically melting from all the pleasure. Indi threw her head back as I pushed deeper and harder, her hair falling over her shoulders as she gave in to the torrent of passion flooding the both of us.
“Indi? Are you in there? If you are, can you bring me the spare mic just in case the one Elly has doesn’t work properly?”
A knock at the door from one of the store staff members startled us, but we didn’t stop. I covered Indi’s muffled cries of ecstasy with one hand, but she shook her head and made me drop it.
“Yes,” she finally called out. “I’m coming!”
And she was. Her muscles were clenching down on my cock like a vise as her climax crashed over her, and soon my own orgasm was building within me. I reached up and grabbed Indi’s breasts again as she gasped, her eyes hooded in a haze of pleasure and joy. “Fuck,” I groaned. “I’m gonna come.”
“Yes, do it,” she whispered, squeezing my cock even more in rapid, pulsating clenches.
An explosion ripped through me, and I buried myself inside her one last time before letting out a deep groan, finally finding my release.
We quickly cleaned ourselves off and got dressed, sweaty and smiling stupidly at each other. When all the clothes were back on, Indi wrapped her small arms around me and rested her head on my chest. “You were right,” she said in a serene voice. “I’m a lot calmer now.”
I grinned and ruffled her hair. “Good,” I said, checking my wristwatch. “Because it’s ten past ten, and we need to go. We’ve got a wedding to get to…”