Chapter 15

Greer

“I want to meet him, soon.” Dad presses me for the second time in as many minutes.

“I’ll schedule a dinner next week.”

“Any night but Thursday.”

“What’s happening Thursday?”

“It’s the annual bankers, builders, and billionaires affair.”

“Dad! That’s not the name.”

“I know, but I don’t bother to learn all the names. You know how I feel about these things.”

“Then why are you going?”

“In a moment of weakness, I agreed to speak.”

“Oh, wow, this must be a big deal.”

“I’m not sure if it’s a big deal, but that new chump I hired as VP of Communications had a baby and he’s taking some time off.”

“How dare he?”

“Right? I need to talk to HR,” he jokes.

“Big softie, I’m sure you could have chosen anyone in that whole department to speak.”

“Maybe, but now you know why I need to have the prettiest girl in the city as my date. Public speaking makes me nervous.”

“Now you’re lying! You thrive on public speaking.”

His laughter booms through the line. “In all honesty, this is something I needed to do anyway. Palmer Enterprises is going to be in the spotlight. They’ve been planning for months to showcase the new laboratory on Long Island. The event theme is Revolutionary Wonders.”

I gasp, shocked that he hasn’t told me about this before. “Dad! Why didn’t you tell me about this? It is a big deal! A huge deal! Weren’t you planning to attend?”

“I was going to do a cameo. Shake some hands, take some pictures, answer questions, all the required PR.”

There’s something in the way he says it that tells me there’s more to the story. “You’re lying. I can hear the smile in your voice. You’re excited about this, aren’t you?”

“I can never hide much. You’ve caught me. I am ecstatic about it. This project is very special to me, and now that we are close to selecting the final design, it’s time to start telling the world about it. Not to mention, I had the best team of brilliant minds on my side.”

I understand him completely. This lab has consumed his thoughts since he found the land. “I’ll be honored to be your date.”

“Thank you. Do you think you could coral up the team? I’d love to have them there, too. I’ve arranged a little surprise.”

“Send me the details and I’ll let them know.”

“You know, you could invite your boyfriend, too.”

“Nope, not a chance. Hopefully, you’ll get to meet him before the event, but if not, I’m not introducing him to you when you are being honored, fawned over, and given the high majesty treatment. I’d prefer something low key and casual. I told you he’s a bit old fashioned and wanted to call and introduce himself. Once you meet, he’ll be invited to the next swanky event.”

“If it were your mom, I would have insisted on being there. Besides, didn’t you say he’s in construction? This could be a good business dinner for him.”

“He’s in residential remodeling and construction, hardly the same as this.”

“Your call.”

A ding sounds in my ear with a reminder. “Dad, I have to run. We have trivia in an hour. I’ll tell the crew tonight about next Thursday.”

“Good luck.”

“Love you,” I tell him, hanging up and rushing to my room, shedding my work clothes on the way.

I pick my favorite pair of jeans and lay them on the bed, then go to the bathroom to freshen my make-up. When I walk back out, I scream and stumble back into my wall, covering my heart with my hand.

Lawson is standing in the middle of my room, his feet planted firm, arms crossed over his chest, and an angry scowl on his face.

“You scared me to death!” I yell, trying to calm my hammering heart.

His eyes roam over my body, and his stare heats as he prowls to me, bending to throw me over his shoulder and walking us back to my bed. I land with a woof when he tosses me down and then covers my body with his own.

“I knocked, and when you didn’t answer, I tried the door handle. What have I told you about locking your door?” He cups the back of my neck to keep me from turning my head.

“I knew you were coming over so I didn’t lock it.”

“Always lock your door. Security in this building may be tight, but you can’t take any chances.”

“Security in this building is excellent, and like I said, I was expecting you.”

“So give me a key and start locking the damn door.”

My throat goes dry at the statement, my heart speeding up again. “You want a key?”

“If it means you will take your safety more seriously, then yes.”

“Isn’t a key kind of a big deal?”

He leans in and brushes his lips over mine a few times. When he lifts up, his eyes are glimmering with the specks of gold that make my insides melt.

“Baby, we passed ‘big deal’ status Monday afternoon when we ditched the condoms without even a discussion.”

“But you know I’m on birth control.”

“And you know how I feel about using condoms. For three days, we’ve had more sex than ever before, each time me coming inside you with nothing but a little white pill to protect us. Not once have I thought about the consequences because this thing between us is as serious as a man can be about a woman. There is no one and nothing in this world that is going to change that. Exchanging keys is a piece of cake.”

The racing of my heart comes to a complete stop, and I suck in a deep breath. “Are you saying—” I can barely speak, the words escaping me. I’m almost too scared to say them out loud.

“I think you know what I’m saying. You and me? We’re it. My commitment to you is endless. When I told you Monday that I was going to take care of you, I meant forever.”

“I really like the sound of that.” I blow out the breath I was holding.

“It makes me a very happy man that you’d prance around in this bra and panties waiting for me to arrive, but promise me you’ll lock the door. If anything ever happened to you, it would kill me.”

“I have a spare key in the kitchen,” I explain as my answer.

He seems to like the reply because his mouth comes back to mine right as his hand skims down my torso and straight into my panties.

“How much time do we have?” he whispers against my lips.

“Not a lot.” I moan when he slips a finger inside and uses his thumb to flick the sensitive skin.

“Watching you in action at these things always brings out the inner possessiveness in me. I’m not leaving here without the taste of your pussy on my tongue.”

He kisses me lightly then starts his descent down my body, teasing me with his fingers, lips, and tongue until he reaches the edge of the silky satin adorned with bows on both my hipbones. His eyes raise to mine with an appreciative glow.

“It’s like unwrapping a present.” He grins, licking down the center of the material.

“Your present,” is the last coherent thing I say.

•∞•∞•

“Here are your phones back.” The trivia moderator hands us a large Ziploc that contains all our cell phones. “Congratulations… again.”

Enrique flashes her his famous dazzling smile and winks, before she blushes and scurries away.

“Stop, we have an agreement.” Jenny wiggles her finger at him in warning. “No seducing her.”

“No problem, Doctor. I was just being polite.” He wiggles his eyebrows to her then turns his attention to Lawson. “Thanks to you, we go down with another victory. You saved our asses.”

“Not a problem, glad I could help. We are a big sports family. My brother and I could recite every Super Bowl winner and MVP.” Lawson grabs two beers out of the ice bucket, unaffected by the five sets of eyes bearing into him.

“Sweetie, I think he was referring to the Gothic Revival of Victorian Architecture,” I say softly in his ear.

He hands me a beer and glances around the table, his lips quirking in a cocky grin. “You’ve discovered my secret. I have a geek streak, too. I studied architecture in college. It stuck with me.”

“Oh my God, you two are perfect for each other. Greer loves that shit.” Jenny gets her own drink and continues. “Next time there’s a new build in the city or a house going up in the Hamptons, I’m volunteering you to go with her to inspect it.”

“It will be my pleasure.”

“What happened to you tonight, Little G? You froze.” Enrique looks at me pointedly.

I don’t dare tell him my mind was preoccupied with the conversation Lawson and I had earlier. Or that Lawson jumbled my head with two orgasms before leaving my place. Knowing Enrique, he’d put a ban on sex before each tournament and find a way to enforce the new rule. Instead, I defend my one victory of the night. “I think I did excellent since the 1975 Oscars were practically swept by The Godfather II. Remembering best actress was a challenge.”

“I agree, she did fine.” Jonas tips his beer in my direction.

Lawson drapes his arm back around my shoulder, tugs me close, and lowers his mouth to my ear. “Sexy as hell watching you concentrate. The entire time, I was licking my lips, tasting you all over again.”

A thrill travels down my spine, sending a shudder throughout my body. I nuzzle into his neck and place a few kisses along his jawline. “I was sitting here thinking it’s equally as sexy that you love architecture. Tonight, maybe we should test your knowledge with our own private trivia game. Winner chooses prize.”

“I already have my prize, but get ready, because when I beat you, it’ll be a weekend of nothing but nakedness and servitude.”

“Bring it on,” I whisper.

His arm tightens, and he slides a hand under my thighs to lift me onto his lap. No one at the booth seems fazed by the intimacy.

“So, Lawson, you still think we’re all a bunch of lab rats?” Jonas asks with a smirk.

“I’ll amend my assessment to say you’re all a crew of highly intelligent lab rats,” Lawson responds.

“I’m not a lab rat. I work in IT,” Bessie corrects him.

“You work in IT in a medical lab.” Jonas rolls his eyes.

“There’s still a huge difference.”

“No, there’s not,” he argues.

Lawson clears his throat, pulling the attention to him. “Greer told me a lot about all of you and your accomplishments. Quite a crew. I now have a new perspective on why Dr. Jenny has an obsession with condoms.”

There’s a loud groan around the booth from everyone but Jenny. Instead, she perks up, a smile spreading across her face. I know this look; we all know this look.

“Now you’ve done it. Here we go,” Enrique mutters, finishing his beer in one gulp.

I motion to the waitress for another bucket while Jenny launches into her research, filling Lawson in on the basics. When she gets to the part about testing the durability of used condoms, he clutches me tighter.

“The picture is much clearer now why your friends and you know so much about semen,” he says quietly.

I giggle, nodding.

For the next hour, the conversation bounces between all of their research projects as they explain to Lawson more about their lives. I settle into him, drinking and happily listening to my friends. A weight I didn’t know I was carrying around is lifted now that he is completely in the fold. No more clipped conversations or awkward silences. I realize how unnecessary it was to withhold details of my life, my education, and my friends’ successes. Protecting myself was a flimsy excuse as I listen to him now. He fits in perfectly and hasn’t showed any signs of discomfort.

Lawson openly shows affection without restraint, sweeping my hair off my shoulders, kissing my cheek, and whispering in my ear.

Each touch, caress, and soft murmur sends sparks of electricity throughout my bloodstream. He places a hand on my thigh, where his fingertips swirl in a circle, each swipe moving further up. Through the thick fabric of my jeans, I can still feel the trail of heat on my skin. He’s teasing me, working me into a frenzy without a single word. I clench my thighs together, and he chuckles, his movements never halting.

A blush crawls up my neck and cheeks, and I try my best to focus back on the conversation and not the sensations coiling from inside.

Bessie breaks the mood when she moves the conversation to me. “Greer, what did you need to ask us?”

The scorching euphoria of Lawson’s sweet seduction turns to ice, and I stiffen. It seems rude to discuss the dinner in front of Lawson.

“Kevin wants us at a ritzy business dinner next week. Says it’s a posh soirée highlighting Palmer Enterprises,” Enrique throws in before I can answer.

“How did you know?” I narrow my eyes at him, afraid of what’s coming next.

“He called me.”

Yep, I should have known Dad was going to pry and involve at least one of my friends. He’s a man on a mission, and that mission is meeting Lawson ASAP.

“I told him I’d take care of it.”

“He knows, but he tried to get Lawson’s number. He wanted to call and invite him, make the first move.”

Now, my face heats for an entirely different reason. Lawson tenses, his hand moving to cage me to him. “What’s going on?”

There’s an unsettling confusion in his tone, and the last thing I want is for him to think I’m keeping something else from him. I launch into the conversation with my dad. When I cover the part about my dad thinking this could be a good networking event for Lawson, his eyes flare with something I’ve never seen before, and I instantly go on alert that I’ve insulted him.

“I didn’t want to throw you into a situation where you’d be uncomfortable,” I try to explain, hoping he’s not upset.

His face softens, the light coming back to his eyes. He kisses my forehead and smiles down at me. “If you want me there, I’ll be there. But, otherwise, I’ll wait for a less formal event to meet the famous Kevin Palmer.”

“You’re not mad, are you?”

“Never, and it would be bad manners to steal his beautiful date for the night.”

My heart flips in my chest, and I hear the swoony sighs from my girlfriends. Lawson breaks our stare and looks back at Enrique.

“Sounds like you’re tight with Kevin.”

“We all are. Kevin gave us internships. It was a guaranteed job offer to have a letter of recommendation from him.”

“Except for me,” Jenny clarifies. “I did do an internship, but my path was a little harder. He made sure I had the funds to continue on with my education.”

“Sounds like an incredible man. I can’t wait to meet him.”

There are nods around the table in agreement, and the conversation changes. Lawson’s heart races so fast I can feel it against my arm pinned between us. I try to think of something to break the tension and make him comfortable again. Shifting in his lap so I’m facing him completely, my hands move to cup his cheeks, gently scratching his stubble.

“I’ve changed my mind. No trivia. You’re an automatic winner. I’ll give you a weekend of nakedness and servitude as long as you promise to wear your glasses the entire time.”

He drops his eyes to my lips, and when he raises them back to mine, they are filled with hunger. “That can be arranged.”

I plant a quick kiss on his lips and swallow hard, finding my courage.

“Don’t worry about Dad. He’s going to like you, especially when he discovers how crazy I am about you.”

I barely see his grin before he crashes his mouth to mine, holding me tightly to him.