I couldn’t believe it! All the plaintiffs had voluntarily requested the court to terminate their lawsuits against my father, including Josh.

I knew it! I just knew it was Josh who made this possible.

It was just too incredible to believe but I knew all along. My Joshua was really something. He was really a knight behind that seemingly ruthless facade. My heart swelled with so much love I felt like bursting with it.

I was sure now, he cared for me. Why would he do this if he didn’t?

He must love me, too!

“This is a miracle! What happened, Vernon?” my mother tearfully asked my father’s lawyer.

“It’s Joshua Landis,” Vernon said. “His lawyer, Wyatt Evans, called me this morning to meet up. He took care of everything.”

“But this is so generous of Joshua,” my mother gasped.

Vernon just shrugged. “I’m sorry Armand can’t leave the jail today. Paperworks. But tomorrow, he’s free to go home, Ana,” he explained apologetically.

“It’s perfectly all right, Vernon. What’s important is he’s free! Thank God! This is truly a miracle! Armand can now sleep in his own bed again,” my mother was sobbing in happiness now.

I put my arm around my Mom’s shoulders.

“You can see him after his meeting with Landis’ lawyer. He’s been granted two hours to be with you,” Mr. Gatz supplied.

“Landis’ lawyer?” I asked.

“Yes. He’s still with your father.”

“Why aren’t you in the meeting with my father, Mr. Gatz?”

“Ahm, I had to excuse myself to facilitate your father’s court documents, Cressida.”

I nodded.

“Your father is free, Cress. I still can’t believe it’s over. I knew he was innocent. Now he will be vindicated.”

“Yes, Mom. His name will be restored, I promise.”

We patiently waited for my father to finish his meeting with Joshua’s lawyer.

I couldn’t wait to hug my Dad.

And I couldn’t wait to see my love.

“Mr. Evans?”

The tall, handsome man turned around and smiled when he saw me. He was standing near the city jail’s entrance. “Ms. Madden.”

“I’m glad I caught up with you. I apologize for our emotional reunion back there. Madden family drama, you know.”

“I perfectly understand. You must miss your father very much.”

“I did. But I’d like to thank you for what you did here today.”

“It’s not me. I’m just representing Joshua Landis.”

There was a glint in his eyes when he mentioned Joshua’s name. I wondered if he knew about Joshua and me.

“I know, but I thank you nonetheless. You made things easier for our lawyer. Paperworks can be a bitch.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome.”

“Are you meeting Josh— Mr. Landis after this?”

“Actually, yes. He’s at the Tower, waiting for me. I’m waiting for his chauffeur to fetch me. He lent me his limo today.”

“Uhm, can I hitch a ride with you? I’d like to uhm…thank him personally for his kindness. If…it’s okay with you?”

He smiled widely. “Of course, it’s okay with me. What about your Mom?”

“Oh, she wants to stay longer with Dad. She’ll be fine.”

A limo rolled over out front.

“Okay then, there’s our ride. Let’s go.”

“In a sudden turn of events in this convoluted drama of some of the wealthiest families in New York City, Armand Madden, the CEO and owner of the embattled Madden Securities on Wall Street is free to go after all charges against him were dropped at once. Madden has been detained at the Manhattan City Jail for three months as he awaited trial for fraud in connection with the 50-billion dollar Rutledge Ponzi Scam. He’s set to leave the Manhattan City Jail tomorrow.

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that the rumored budding relationship between financial mogul Joshua Landis and Armand Madden’s only child, Cressida Madden, may have caused this major change of heart. The two have been recently photographed together on a dinner date at a plush restaurant. What is curious about this new development is that Joshua Landis was the biggest investor that was allegedly defrauded by Armand Madden and was the leading complainant in the Madden case.…”

Luna turned the TV off and looked at me, her eyes trying to read me. She was one of my closest friends. She was married to my buddy Eric now, and they had a beautiful daughter.

Eric met Luna after his bitter divorce from his first wife and I was skeptical of her character at first. But Luna turned out to be the real deal and Eric was now living the picket fence and all that fairly tale shit.

“What?” I barked, irked by her knowing grin.

“PR nightmare, I tell you.”

“What do I pay you for? Get to work.”

“Gimme the facts first.”

“Okay.”

“Is this a weekend gig or a million-dollar contract?”

“What does it matter?”

“If it’s a weekend itch, I’ll just say it was an accidental meeting at the restaurant. But if they see you with her again in the future, you two had better not be eye-fucking each other in public.”

I sighed.

She tutted, shaking her head. “Oh, my God. You really like this girl! Of all the women in New York, it had to be Armand Madden’s daughter. How fucked up is this?”

I grunted. I hated being asked questions about Cressida when I was confused about my own feelings for her.

“Okay, we’ll just say it was a business meeting. Ms. Madden asked for it and you just obliged. If they see you again together and you happen to be canoodling in the restroom, you can just both go, surprise! By then, I hope the whole Madden scandal has been put to rest.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I just wanted to know what this girl means to you. And now I know.”

I gave her a hard look. “No, you don’t.”

“My God, Eric’s gonna freak out over this!”

“Go away, Lu.”

She laughed and went away talking to her husband on the phone. “Honey, you’re not gonna believe who Landis is hooking up for real now…It’s not a rumor at all…! I just talked to him!”

I shook my head.

The intercom dinged. I pushed a button. “Yeah?”

“Sir, your three o’clock have arrived. They’re waiting at the conference room.”

“Thank you, Georgia. Has Wyatt called?”

“No, sir.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be there shortly.”

I wondered why Wy hadn’t called me from the city jail. By now I’d presume the agreement had been inked.

Madden Securities was finally mine.

As for Cressida, I would take care of her, that was a promise. She would be mine in every sense.

Jesus, I couldn’t believe I was even thinking about it. But I should have known this was inevitable the moment I first saw her.

She’d be the mother of my babies.

Karin would be ecstatic.

As if she knew I was thinking about her, she called me in the middle of making a billion-dollar deal, the little tease.

“Josh?”

“Yeah?” I said on the phone casually while the investors who came for this meeting waited for me to get off the phone and continue the discussion.

“I need you.”

I fight hard not to grin like a fucking idiot. She always needed me. She was always hungry. She was very young and her body, new to the pleasures of the flesh was greedy for attention. I was glad I was the one giving it the full attention it craved.

“My kitty’s sad.”

“Yeah?” My cock was instantly hard under the table.

“It’s weeping right now, poor kitty, nobody to stroke its fur.”

I shifted in my seat to relieve the growing tension in my groin. Where the hell did she learn this dirty talk? I had to check Xtube out for myself.

“I’ll get back to you later,” I said, cutting her little seduction.

“I’m at your office.”

“What?”

“I’m sitting in your chair.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. And if you don’t come to me now, I’m going to make myself cum with this electronic massager I found in your table’s drawer.

What the fuck…?!

“Don’t touch it. I’ll take care of it later.”

“I can’t wait for tonight. I want it now, Josh.”

“I said later.”

“Ten minutes, darling.” I heard a hissing sound in the background. She’d turned the damn massager on. “I wonder if this feels better than your cock.”

She hung up.

My phone dinged, signaling a message just came in. She sent me a picture of the massager lying on her lap, the V of her pussy clad in white lace, peeking under her short pink skirt.

The scenario she conjured shot so much blood south of my body I felt out of breath. The two Arab oil magnates who came all the way from the Middle East for this meeting were looking at me curiously.

That little witch! I’m gonna paddle her ass! But the thought of spanking her ass only intensified the fantasy playing in my mind.

I cleared my throat. “Gentlemen, as I was saying…”

I smiled when Josh entered his office looking livid.

“Hello, darling. You’re just in time.”

Before I could say another word, he was on me.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me none too gently away from him and pushed me to lie facedown on his table.

He was breathing hard.

My body pulsed in anticipation. “Josh…”

He pulled my skirt up my hips and exposed my backside. He ripped my flimsy thong off. The cool temperature of the room greeted my bare skin.

My pussy throbbed harder. I’d been wet from the waiting.

“You think you can play me like your lap dog, huh? Turn me by the fucking nose at your stupid whims?!”

“Josh…”

“Don’t call me at work and disrupt my fucking schedule!”

His palm landed on my ass.

I squeaked both in shock, and at the stinging sensation. My pussy swelled even more.

“Don’t come in my office and order me what to do!”

WHACK!

I shrieked. He was not being playful. He was really mad. “Josh…!” I grappled for something to hold on to but the table top was smooth. His other hand was clamped around the back of my neck, holding me in place.

“Do not fuck with me!”

WHACK!

I was in tears on the third slap, my ass, on fire.

Then his fingers were in my pussy, slipping in between the wet folds. I was gushing with need. I moaned, lifting my ass. I didn’t know what ached more, my skin that stung or my pussy that needed his cock desperately.

He groaned and cursed, pushing two fingers inside me. “This pussy…so fucking tight…so fucking wet…”

Then he was truly inside me. His cock. So hard and thick and hot.

I was so slick and ready for him that he went in unimpeded by any muscle resistance. His rhythm was immediately fast and rough.

I sobbed, clawing at the table, my need so great I would probably die if he stopped shoving his big cock in and out of me.

His fingers bit into my hips as he rode me, ramming me so hard his massive hardwood table moved with his every thrust.

And I loved it. His raw power surging into me, filling me again and again. My inner muscles greedily sucked at his shaft, clenching at his incredible hardness, the pressure inside me building fast…pushing me up…up…up…!

“Josh! Oh God…I wanna see! I wanna see you!”

He pulled out of me abruptly and turned me around, lifting my ass onto the table. He pushed my top down my shoulders, exposing my breasts. He grabbed my ass and lifted me up and fed on my nipples, sucking them hard alternately, and then he impaled me on his cock again.

I gasped at the impact. I felt so full of him, stretched to the limit, and I loved it! I wanted more!

He bounced me on his cock, his pelvis making slapping sounds against the juncture of my legs.

I held on to his shoulders and stared at his face. I’d never get tired watching him as he took me. The feral pleasure in his eyes always triggered my release.

“You want this cock? Huh? You want this?”

“Yes, oh God yes! Harder, honey!”

His almost brutal thrusts shook my entire body until I came and came and came. I would have dropped like a log on the table if he didn’t hold on to me.

His own release resonated through me, his hoarse groan filling my ears as his warm seed jetted inside me. I felt it fill me with every quickening of his big frame. My pussy sucked it all in greedily, willing it to grow inside me.

I’d stopped taking the pill for a week now. Karin was subtly telling me to do this from the start. I was just slow to catch up.

A baby. This would change Joshua in the way nothing or no one could. I believed it with all my heart.

And God, I wanted his baby. I wanted it like my next breath. I wanted a real connection with him that would never be severed no matter what.

My father was free. I was free to love Joshua now. I would love him like he’d never been loved before, so he won’t ever doubt for one moment that he deserved to be loved for himself and not for anything else.

He allowed my body to lie back on the table as he slumped weakly on top of me. His cheek lay between my breasts, his breath fanning my damp skin. Our hearts beat in tandem as our spent passion turned our pulses back to normal.

“Josh?” I whispered in his hair, inhaling his scent.

God, how I loved his scent.

How I loved him.

He groaned.

“Thank you so much for helping my father. I’m so happy I can’t put it in words.” My voice shook with my emotions. “Thank you.”

I felt his kiss on my left breast. “Don’t do that again.”

“What?”

“That.”

“Or what, you’ll spank me again?”

“Yeah. Harder.”

“But…I kind of liked it.”

He groaned again. “God, woman.”

I smiled. “Josh?”

“What…?”

“I love you.”

I felt him go still. I held my breath, praying he won’t push me away. But I felt him relax against me. He didn’t say anything back, but he didn’t pull away either.

I would take that.

One day at a time.

I would love him one day at a time.