CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Cole
Still on my knees in front of Lori, I press my lips to her belly. She gives a choked laugh. “I can already tell you that I’m going to come, but, Cole?”
There is something in her voice and I look up at her. “Yes?”
“Don’t spank me here. Not here. It doesn’t feel private.”
I kiss her belly again. “Not here,” I agree, more than satisfied with the fact that she hasn’t told me no. Just not here. I lick her clit and stand up, my fingers pressing against the wet heat of her sex. “Come on my fingers,” I say, my lips next to her lips. “Then on my cock.” I kiss her, and slip two fingers inside her. She’s wet, and hot, and she pants into my mouth in that sexy, sweet, way she does. The more I lick into her mouth, the more I stroke her, and the more she arches into me. Her prediction is right, and it’s all of about sixty seconds before she stiffens and her orgasm quakes my fingers and her body. It’s abrupt and over far too quickly.
“Can you be undressed now, please?” she whispers.
“Since you said please,” I say, reaching for my pants, and between the two of us she has her wish and quickly.
I’m naked, hard as a fucking rock, and pressing inside her, lifting her as I did in the hallway of my apartment, but this time we won’t be standing. I walk us to the bed, and I go down on my back. I want her on top. I want her to ride me. I want her to show me how much she wants me. And she does. Lori sits on top of me, and starts to move, slow at first, and then faster, her spectacular breasts swaying with every thrust.
“Show me how you want me to touch you,” I order, knowing Lori is reserved, but wanting her to let me see that other part of her I know exists. The part that let me spank her. Wanting her to trust me that much again.
I expect her to be shy, to need urging, she’s doesn’t. Her hands glide over her body, her breasts, fingers trailing her nipples. I pump into her, and her head tilts back, pleasure sliding over her face, and it’s official—this woman rocks my world. I roll her to her side facing me, kissing her, molding her closer. Now that’s what I want. Her closer. Her next to me. Her everywhere and every way I can feel her.
My hand on her breast. My mouth on her nipples. My cock driving into her until she cries out so damn loudly it might just echo downstairs. I kiss her, swallowing the sound, and fight the tight knot in my groin that refuses to let go. I shudder into release, spilling myself inside her, and when we finally melt into each other and the bed, I don’t let go of her. I hold her tighter. I’m not letting her go. If I do, she’ll run. I still feel that.
“I need a towel,” she whispers, and I reluctantly ease back to kiss her temple.
“I’ll grab you one.”
I pull out of her and walk to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and tossing it toward the bed for the ease of speed. “Thank you,” she says, grabbing it and then scooting off the bed.
“Bathroom,” she says, still completely naked as she races past me.
She enters the bathroom and shuts the door. I really hate that shut door. I pull on my pants, and decide, screw giving her space to run. I snatch up my shirt before walking to the bathroom door. It opens right after I arrive. She stops abruptly and stares up at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Not a damn thing.” I slip my shirt around her, and pull her close. “You’re mine now.”
“And what does that make you?”
“Yours,” I say, without the hesitation I should feel. I feel none. “That means we’re taking on this thing called life together. That’s means you have to actually live it with me. You have to let me in.”
“I am. I will, but for the next nine months, I’m still your employee, and you have to understand our limits.”
“Work I get, but outside of work, I’m not going to be as understanding as you want me to be.”
“I kind of figured that out and I’m still here, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to just say yes to everything.”
“I’ll push.”
“I know that, Cole,” she says. “Very well.”
“Then you’re okay with it?”
“You just let me tell you not to spank me here, and didn’t even blink. I believe you’ll listen when I need you to listen.”
“I have fantasies about spanking you again,” I say.
Her teeth scrape her bottom lip. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, but the wait only makes it better.” I kiss her. “Let’s go back to the bed.”
“Do we need to go back downstairs?”
“There is not a chance in fiery hell that we’re voluntarily leaving a bedroom with you in my shirt to go check on Adam and Savage,” I say. “If they need us, they’ll shout.” I lead her back to the bed and pull her down with me. “We’re staying here tonight.” I pull her to me, catching her leg with mine. “We’re sleeping here.”
“What about being watched?”
“We’re in an all-night work session with Walker Security. We’re covered. Now. Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Birth,” I say, because I want to know everything there is to know about this woman.
She starts telling me her story, and we laugh and talk for hours. It’s a long time later when she falls asleep on my chest, and I lay awake thinking about everything that happened tonight. This woman belongs with me. I’m in love with her. I’d say it happened fast, only it took my entire life.
***
Lori’s second night with me does not end the same as the first did, and I made sure of it. The minute she fell asleep, I wrapped myself around her and ensured she wasn’t getting away. I wake up to her soft, sweet curves pressed to mine, and I know this is how I want to wake up over and over and over again. I lay there for a good thirty minutes just holding her and do so despite the fact that I want to get back to New York where the company needs me, and where reality, and normalcy, will allow me to root Lori in more than a hotel adventure.
I know the moment Lori is awake for no reason other than I just know. “You’re awake,” I murmur, nuzzling her neck, aware that she no longer smells like flowers, but rather like me, which I’ll take over those sweet flowers any day of any week.
“I’m awake,” she confirms, rotating to look at me, her hand settling on my jaw, fingers raspy over my stubble; her hair wild and sexy, her mascara smudged under her eyes. “And this,” she says. “is me in makeup that I have worn for twenty-four hours, and through too much tequila, and a lot of rolling around in this bed with you.”
“The only thing better,” I say, kissing her hand, “would be you in my bed which is why we need to get up and get moving. I want to fly out today and I never arranged us a flight.” I shift us, kiss her temple, and throw away the blankets to stand up. Since I’m in my pants and she’s in my shirt, I hunt down my shoes and socks.
“Should we stay until tomorrow?” Lori asks scooting off the bed, my oversized shirt draping her body. “It’s Monday. What if there is a Monday morning problem with Waller while we’re in the air? We know he’s up to no good.”
“Tara’s in good hands,” I say, sitting down to pull on my shoes and socks while Lori steps into the skirt of her dress. “We’re leaving.” I stand up and walk to stand in front of her. “I’m going to need my shirt, sweetheart.”
She peels it away and hands it to me. My gaze lowers, raking over her naked breasts and watching her pretty pink nipples pucker under my inspection. I toss the shirt, and bring her to me, her naked breasts pressed against my chest. “The flight can wait,” I say but when I lean in to kiss her, her hand goes to my mouth.
“I need to brush my teeth. No kissing.”
I laugh but concede, sliding my hand down her hip, and between her legs. “Even here?”
Her eyes glint with challenge, her hand pressing to the thick line of my erection. “How about here?”
My cock twitches against her palm and her lips curve. “That’s a yes,” she says, lowering herself to her knees, shoving aside my open zipper, tugging down my underwear just enough to kiss the tip of my erection. I suck in a breath, and a moment later, she’s got my cock in her hand, giving it a lick while casting me a coy, sexy look.
“You can come,” she says. “I think I owe you that.” With that announcement, she draws me in her mouth, sucking me deep and just like that I don’t own her. She owns me.
***
Lori
Once Cole and I finally manage to get dressed, we exit the bedroom, and walk down the stairs to find Savage and Adam, sitting on the couches where we left them, both in the same clothes they had on when we went upstairs. “Have you two not slept?” I ask incredulously.
“No sleep for the weary,” Adam says, rubbing his eyes.
“Or the wicked,” Savage says, wiggling an eyebrow. “But now we can sleep. Our job is done.”
“What does that mean?” Cole asks.
“It means,” Adam replies, “that Blake found dirt on Waller and a link to the police chief.”
“Offshore accounts,” Savage says, “and it just gets dirtier from there. We’ll spare you the details.”
“Royce has a message for you,” Adam says. “He said to tell you: He’s got this. They’ll go down. He’s calling in the appropriate people, and getting the job done, but he said call him tomorrow and he’ll fully update you. Not today, he said. He was apparently up with the baby all night and just went to bed.”
“And if that ain’t a pitch for wearing a condom,” Savage says, “I don’t know what is.”
“Should we tell Tara?” I ask.
“No,” all three men say at once.
“The less she knows,” Cole says, “the better. These kinds of things have to be handled with care.”
“True that,” Savage says. “We have no idea who else might be involved that we haven’t found out about.”
“We don’t want them tipped off,” Adam says running his hands through his hair.
“But I’ll take care of Tara for you when the time is right,” Savage offers.
“Go for it,” Cole says. “And good luck. She will eat you for lunch.”
I tune out Savage and focus on Cole. “Is it over? Is that what this means?”
“If Royce says it’s handled. It’s handled.” His cell phone rings, and he pulls it from his pocket. “The airline,” he tells me before accepting the call.
Savage gives me a grin and a wink. “Is he still an asshole?”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m really glad you live here and not in New York City.”
“Actually, I live in New York City,” Savage says. “Adam here just needs a He-Man to help him out until he gets his team built. So don’t you worry. I’ll be around to tell everyone all about you, tequila, and Cole’s wrinkled shirt.”
My lips part, and I’m about to panic when Cole steps to my side. “Hold that story until she graduates law school,” he orders. “Otherwise I’ll kill you, Savage.”
“Ah, right,” Savage says, winking at me again. “You’re the naughty intern or some shit like that right now. Don’t you worry. I’ll bite my tongue. Your secret is safe.”
“You have any seats on that plane?” Adam asks, looking at Cole.
“Why?” Cole asks. “You need one?”
“No,” he says. “I want you to haul Savage and his big fucking mouth back with you.”
“He’s joking,” Savage says. “He loves me.”
“I don’t,” Cole says. “We’re leaving.” He drapes his arm around me and turns me toward the door. Once we’re there, he gives me a quick kiss. “To hold me over until the airplane.” He releases me and opens the door.
I step into the hallway, and he joins me, and now we can’t touch. Now we are boss and associate. It’s an unwelcome cold splash of water. We’re forbidden and I’m really the naughty associate and nothing will change that for nine long months. Every silent moment of the elevator ride drives home these feelings.
“The flight is in two hours,” Cole says when we step off the car onto our floor. “The pilot couldn’t do any later due to scheduling conflicts. We’ll need to leave in an hour.”
“I’ll be ready,” I say, walking to my door as he walks to his. I don’t look at him. I just enter the room. I’ve barely had time to kick off my shoes when my cell phone rings and it’s Cole.
“Whatever you just let get in your head,” he says. “I’m going to get it out on the plane.” He hangs up.