by K. I. Lynn
“Harder,” she whimpered.
She didn’t say which she wanted harder, so I slammed my hips against hers in a hard, fast rhythm while my hands squeezed her ass. I kept up the hard, punishing rhythm, loving the whimpered moans that slipped from her lips.
“You better come before that door opens again,” I whispered against her lips, loving the way she clamped down on my cock. She was taking me so good and when her breath hitched, I knew she was about to break. “Fuck, yes, baby.”
She screamed into my shoulder as she shook, her teeth clamping down to stifle the sound. It was more than I could handle. Every muscle tensed and I moved my mouth to her neck, mimicking her move and biting down as I slammed my hips as far as I could, grinding in deep as I came.
“You’re a naughty boy,” she said between pants.
“We should do this once a week from now on.” I smiled down at her, loving the pink of her cheeks and her swollen lips. Always the most beautiful creature I’d ever beheld, and she was all mine.
Monday was the first day we went in separate directions as we left the elevator.
And I hated every fucking foot that separated us.
Some of that was subdued by the blonde sitting outside my office beaming at me.
Thank the heavens—Crystal was back.
Nothing against the woman who held my heart, but she was a constant distraction I didn’t need. She was a fantastic fill-in, but the platonic relationship I had with Crystal was better suited for the workplace.
I gave Crystal a last squeeze and pulled back. “I’m so happy you’re back.”
“By that hug, it’s been a disaster, huh?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Actually, no, it wasn’t.”
“Way to make a girl feel wanted.”
I walked into my office and she followed, shutting the door behind her. “It’s not that, it’s just… Well, I did something.”
“If you’re referring to the way you steamrolled your authority to get a girl from Marketing to take over, I know.”
“You do?” I asked. I knew the rumor mill had been going around about us, but I didn’t realize Crystal was still in the loop.
She rolled her eyes. “Thane, the amount of gossip that has reached me is insane. The walls aren’t soundproof, you know.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Crap, I hadn’t thought about that. No, all I’d had on my mind was getting inside her.
I shook my head. “Don’t let her know that. Roe takes no shit, but she’s not immune to embarrassment and she’ll blame me.”
“And you aren’t to blame?” Crystal asked, popping a knowing brow.
“Technically, she is.”
“That’s right, blame the woman. We’re used to that.”
“She’s the one who spilled coffee on me. I can’t be held accountable for all that happened after that.” By my grin, Crystal knew I was full of shit. It was all my fault, but I still liked to tease Roe that it was hers.
“Did she immediately fall into your arms? The jealousy is high around here. I know you haven’t noticed it, but at least one has it out for her.”
“For Roe? Why?”
“My first question. Answer it.”
I heaved a sigh. “She probably called me every name under the sun for two weeks. Insubordinate, inappropriate, and if it wasn’t for the unusual arrangement, I would have fired her.”
“If it was anyone but her.”
Yeah, she caught me there. Roe had me from the first day she stomped into my office like a hellcat.
“Right. And falling into my arms?” I shook my head. “I had to pretty much beg and trick her to even go to lunch with me. Dinner was a completely different battle.”
“Cut the crap. What did you say to piss her off so badly?”
Again, I squeezed my eyes tightly. If Crystal was a violent person, I knew a punch would be headed my way, but instead, I knew what was about to come out of my mouth would earn me a stern look of disappointment.
“I may have said some bullshit about you choosing your baby over me.”
Crystal didn’t know about my abandonment issues, so I was taken aback by her next words.
She stepped forward and took my hands in hers. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” I stared at her like she had two heads, completely confused.
“I know change is difficult for you, that having someone to count on is tantamount to your stability.”
“What are you talking about?”
She sighed. “I’ve been working with you for over five years now. We’ve gotten to know a lot about each other in that time. That’s just what happens in this type of relationship. And what I know isn’t fact, but a feeling I’ve long held.”
“And that is?”
“You’ve dated many women. Many. But only once, maybe twice. I think there was once a whole three weeks you went out with a woman. Then bam, onto the next. Most just thought you were a manwhore, but I knew, because I know you in a way few do.”
“There was nothing there, that was all,” I said, but she shook her head.
“No, there was a reason. You were leaving them before you developed any feelings. You left them before they could leave you. You have abandonment issues, and while I was only leaving temporarily, you felt like I was leaving you and you lashed out.”
I swallowed hard as every word hit me hard in the chest. The feelings I held for Roe I denied, but it didn’t change the truth. “There was a spark with her, and I clung to that like I’ve never clung to anything before.”
“And you wanted more, then more and more, in ways you never did before.”
I scrunched my brow at her. It was almost like she’d been watching over me the entire time.
“Who is feeding you all this gossip?” I asked, wondering if I needed to soundproof my walls.
She laughed. “It’s not just gossip. There was something inside Marketing Girl that made you willing to do anything to keep her close. No woman has ever done that to you.”
“I think she was meant to be mine,” I admitted. We were a perfect match, from the things we shared in common to the things that separated us. Roe was good for me, and I knew I was good for her.
“That’s wonderful.”
“But…” That nagging feeling settled in my stomach again. “I’m not sure she feels the same.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes,” I whispered. How could I openly admit that to Crystal and nobody else? Probably because she was the first to ask.
“Then make her see how perfect you are for each other.”
I pulled at my neck. “It’s not that simple. There are other factors. We have similar issues, and it’s been hard getting her to let me in. She’s guarded because she has a child.”
Crystal leaned back and folded her arms in front of her, her gaze narrowed on me. “Oh, I see now.”
“See what?”
“Why she was so angry with you. Still, she must care for you if you’re together. Give her time. Just be there for her, let her see the kind and reliable man I know you to be.”
“I missed your advice.”
She let out a loud laugh at that. “You never listened to it before, so why now?”
It was true. She’d given me advice about women for years and I’d ignored it. Probably because it was about women I wasn’t interest in. “Back to work.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” she said before turning toward the door. She stopped and looked back to me. “Oh, one last question.”
I lifted my head back up. “Yes?”
“Does this mean I can throw your little black book away?”
I beamed at her. “Shred it.”
She smiled back. “You got it, boss.”
The week was over before I knew it, and it was kind of sad and unsettling to be closing out my work outside Thane’s door. I’d already removed any personal items and distributed them back at my desk. I was happy, ecstatic to be returning to the job I loved, but I was sad t
o be leaving the man I’d fallen deeply for.
When I arrived at my desk on Monday after leaving Thane at the elevator, I just stood there and stared at it. It felt odd to sit at my desk again. My little cube seemed foreign, and I found myself lost and confused.
What was I supposed to be doing? Working on?
For two months I’d sat outside Thane’s door. I’d become his confidant and his sanity. There was a brightness I was missing. The marketing department seemed dark and cold. The whole world seemed off kilter. In fact, by the time it was almost noon, I had neither seen nor heard from Thane.
He was probably bringing Crystal up to speed and thought I’d be diving deep back into the Worthington campaign. That was what I should have been doing, but instead I was staring at a screen and missing my boyfriend’s warmth.
I missed our banter and his random kisses and the way he could pin me to a wall.
It felt like all the joy had been sucked out of me.
I wondered if he felt it too.
All attempts to focus were shot, but I kept trying. I owed Donte a lot of work on my part, and I wasn’t going to let him down.
When I didn’t hear from Thane by the end of my day, I decided to head over to his office and let him know I was leaving. I nearly stopped in my tracks at the beautiful blonde guarding the gateway to his office. Was that Crystal?
She was gorgeous and put together. The woman didn’t look like she’d just had a baby. I could barely brush my hair most days, but hers was in perfectly curled waves framing her face. When she looked up from her computer, I was struck by a beautifully blinding smile that nearly knocked me over.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Um, is Thane available?”
“No, I’m sorry, he’s on a call. Is there something I can help you with?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m sorry to bother you.”
There was a crash behind the door followed by stomping feet and then the door flew open.
When our eyes locked, the darkness I’d felt all day was blown away, replaced by the warmth of his gaze.
“Hi,” I said tentatively.
He said nothing, but closed the distance between us in a few long strides. The breath left me when his arms pulled me tightly to him and his lips crashed to mine.
It was exactly what I needed, and I melted into his arms.
“Fuck, I miss you,” he said when he pulled back.
“Missed me? It’s only been eight hours,” I said, trying to hold back the stinging in my eyes.
He brushed his thumb against my bottom lip. “And that is too many without you.”
I smiled at him. “Missed you, too.” I stretched up to press my lips to his, then relaxed back down when I felt his grip around me tighten.
“Dinner delivered tonight? I should be out of here by six.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
I leaned into him, my face buried in his chest as I breathed in his familiar scent. “Yeah, today was just… different.”
He placed a kiss to the top of my head and his hand swept up and down my back. “I know what you mean. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy today.”
“It’s okay. Really,” I said as I looked up at him. Getting Crystal caught up on a Monday with an upcoming takeover spelled chaos. I knew his schedule and how busy he was. “I completely understand. I’m just off from the change.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead, and a sigh left me. “I’ll be home as soon as I can. Give Kinsey a kiss for me and I’ll see you soon.”
I tightened my grip around his waist and held him fast. “What about my kiss?”
“I just gave you one.”
I shook my head. “That was a hello kiss. I need a goodbye one.”
“Nope, not getting one of those.”
“Why not?”
He leaned closer, his lips brushing lightly against mine. “Because I’m going to give you a see-you-soon kiss instead.”
Before our lips touched, we were stopped by a squeal from behind Thane. “Aww, you two are so adorable.”
I blinked at Crystal, having completely forgotten she was sitting a few feet away, watching us. Heat rose in my cheeks and I stepped away from Thane. Each inch created a deeper and deeper emptiness that threatened to swallow me up. He cupped my face and kissed me before I walked away.
If the day was any indication, I would be seeing less and less of Thane. The doubt crept in again. Maybe that was on purpose? Maybe he was trying to distance himself? I didn’t have the answers I needed, only the curling anxiety of uncertainty that festered deep inside me.
After a few days, an unease had settled deep in my bones. Something wasn’t right. That growing fear was morphing into a reality, a bad dream I wanted to wake from.
I felt a disconnect from Roe, and it bothered me. Maybe it was simply the fact that she wasn’t right outside my door anymore. I hoped that was it, because I didn’t like the pit that was forming in my stomach.
Thane: I miss you
I texted her. I did miss her. More than I thought possible. For fuck’s sake, she was in the same building. I could go to her whenever I wanted.
But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was I’d go there and never leave because of the stupid pain in my chest.
I needed her validation, was desperate for it because I’d felt her start to drift away for weeks, and it was accentuated with the physical space that separated us.
It was something I couldn’t take, couldn’t handle.
Seconds ticked into minutes, and I was choking on the silence.
Finally, it buzzed.
Roe: Miss you, too.
They were the words I was hoping for, but it did nothing to quell the feelings rolling through me. Yet with the takeover happening in a few weeks, I was drowning in responsibility that was pulling my attention away from her.
I’d also been fielding calls all day, not all work related. My secret project for the second bedroom was really starting to come together. The paint and wallpaper were up, and the furniture and toys were arriving. I planned on staying up for however long it took to make the room perfect so that I could show them on Friday.
Soon, there would be a perfect little space for Kinsey to call her own.
It was the first step to what I hoped would one day be permanent. I wanted to be together with them in my daily life.
There was one last thing I wanted, and I needed Jace’s help. It was odd going through my call list and realizing I hadn’t talked to him in a month.
“Hello?” he answered after the third ring.
“Hey,” I said.
There was a pause. “What the fuck, man? You’ve completely fallen off the face of the earth.”
“Sorry, I’ve been occupied.”
“You mean you’ve been whipped.”
“No, occupied. How’s it going?”
“It’s been boring. I’ve had to dive into second-string friends cause all you dipshits are settling down.”
“Such is life.”
He scoffed at that. “Not my life.”
“One day,” I said, ribbing him, knowing it would set him off. Jace was one of those self-proclaimed bachelors for life, but I had a feeling one day he’d meet his match just as James and I had.
“Nah, man. I’m still going to be rocking the single scene in my fifties.”
I rolled my eyes at him being his usual dickhead self. It would be sweet justice for him to find a girl to knock him on his ass.
“Listen, does your brother still do woodworking?” I asked.
“Yeah, he’s got a shop out on Long Island. Whatcha need?”
I looked at the photo of the crib against the wall and the blank space above it. “I want a custom name to hang on the wall.”
“He’s making bank on shit like that. I’ll shoot you his number.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you going to ask me what I caught recently?” h
e asked.
I shook my head. “Herpes?”
“Ass.”
“You always catch ass.”
“You’re a fucker,” he grumbled.
I chuckled at that. “Have fun fishing.”
“Say hi to James for me.”
“Will do.”
“Bunch of fucking pussy-whipped assholes,” he yelled.
“Yup, and we love it.”
“All right, I just caught the eye of a hottie across the restaurant.”
“Because your stupid ass was yelling. Have fun.”
“Always.” Right before he hung up, I heard his first line and shook my head.
A few minutes later my phone buzzed.
Jace: Here ya go, fucker 631-555-0187
Kent, Jace’s brother, was backed up with orders for a month. Jace was right, he was making bank, so I sweetened it, offering him ten times what he normally charged if he could deliver it tomorrow.
Money talks, and a rose gold script piece of wood was being specially made as the afternoon continued on.
At noon, my alarm went off as it always did, and I popped a pill. It wasn’t until I swallowed that I noticed something was off.
I stared down at the pill pack.
I’d just popped the last pill. The last sugar pill.
And no period.
Dread surged through me at the implication. I’d never gotten so far and not had my period rear its ugly head.
Was I pregnant?
Oh, no. Even thinking the word made every hair on my skin bristle.
There was only one way to find out, and since I’d already taken my lunch break, I was stuck waiting until four thirty. The mere idea that I could be pregnant stifled all concentration, leaving me unable to focus. Donte was waiting on my idea, but I sat there and stared at my computer, unable to come up with a single word.
I watched the cursor blink. Harder and harder. One harsh blink after the other, and nothing came to me, leaving my mind free to run wild with the possibility of being pregnant.
What would Thane think?
Everything inside me stopped as the answer was crystal clear—he would do what was right.