Looking through the crowds of people at the airport, I can’t spot Merritt. He said he’d meet me right when I got through security, but I don’t see him. I hope he didn’t get caught up at work. Pulling out my phone to call him, I’m startled as he grabs me from behind. “Gotcha!”

“Hiiii!” I cling to him, breathing him in, holding on to his arms.

“How are you feeling?” he nuzzles my neck, and I turn around.

“Better,” I tell him, and he kisses me hard. We both get lost in the moment, forgetting that we are standing in the middle of the airport. His cock is growing, and I’m aware neither of us has the best self-control when it comes to keeping ourselves appropriate in public.

Slowing the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine and says, “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Me too, thank you for having me. You look really fucking hot.”

“You like me in a suit, don’t ya?”

I nod, and he takes my bag from my shoulder and wraps his hand around mine. He keeps looking down at me like he can’t get enough and my heart flutters.

“If I don’t let you go back home, is that a problem?” I roll my eyes at him, and he says, “What? I’m just being honest.”

We exit the airport, and the warm air is a refreshing feeling. “Oh my God, it feels amazing.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you’ve been used to those sub-zero temperatures.”

It feels so good that I take my coat off. Walking up to his car he unlocks the doors and opens mine. Sitting on the passenger seat is a huge bouquet of flowers. “Why, thank you,” I tell him as I get comfy in his sleek Mercedes, smelling the gorgeous flowers.

“My pleasure.” He tosses my bag in the trunk and then opens his door, unbuttoning his coat before he gets in. “I was gonna bring them in, but I wanted to have my hands free.”

“So what’s the plan?” I ask and he backs out of the parking place.

“Sex, food, sex, food, sex, food. That work with you?”

“Of course, but I’m hungry now.” Reaching over, I rub my hand over his shaft; his dick is already hard, and he says, “By all means, eat away, baby.”

* * *

“You said you didn’t cook.” I glare at Merritt as he pulls some food out of the fridge.

“No, I told you, I order in more often than not. But I love to cook when I have someone to cook for.”

I smile, sipping on a glass of wine as he prepares our dinner. “So no meat at all for you?”

“Nope.”

“Have you always been a vegetarian?”

“I have. My parents are, it’s how I was raised.”

“Have you ever tried meat?”

“Yeah, and I really don’t like how it tastes.”

“Except for mine?” He cocks his eyebrows at me and grabs his dick through his pants.

“Yes, except for yours.” I kiss his neck and refill my glass, looking around his house. “Have you lived here for long?”

“A few years.”

“Always alone?”

“Yes,” he answers, and I hate to have asked, but I can’t imagine him being all alone in this huge glass house on the water. I’d figured he shared it with an ex or something.

Getting lost in the view, he wipes his hands dry and asks me, “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing. It’s gorgeous here.”

“It is. The view is even better with you in it.”

I smirk over my shoulder at him, and he says, “Just speaking the truth. Dinner should be done in a bit. Do you want to go sit out back?”

“Sure.” He takes my hand and guides me onto the deck. The air is still surprisingly warm, and I love it. I can’t seem to get enough. We sit together on the outdoor sofa, and I ask him, “Did you ever confront the intern?”

“Hell no!”

I laugh and almost spit my sip of wine out. “Why not? I thought you were going to.”

“I was, but then her boyfriend came and picked her up for lunch, and I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t her in there. I didn’t see her face.”

“We could spy on them?” I joke, and he laughs. “No way, I don’t think we’ll leave at all this weekend, plus, he’s back home in California.”

“Why does he live there?”

“It’s where our main hub is. He’s always traveling so he’s all over.”

“Why do you really put up with him? Even though he’s going to one day give you the company, is it really worth it?”

He finishes his wine and says to me, “What other choice do I have? I’m too old to play basketball, and if I tried to go anywhere else like Ari did, he’d make my life hell. So I play along and do what I can to prove I’m ready to take on the company.”

“You really want it that bad, huh?”

“I do, more than anything…except you.” His words bring a part of me to life. I know how much running the company means to him, so for him to want me more than that is something special.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“Yup, and I think because I turned down my dreams of basketball, I have to make this work. I can’t fail.”

I see his point—he’s following a dream that one day will pay off because he let go of his real passion when he didn’t pursue basketball. But I also hate to see the shit he has to go through to get there. It’s like when his dad says “jump,” Merritt will bitch, but then he’ll say, “how high?” and do whatever his dad wants and that is not the man that Merritt is.