“I’m freezing.” I shrug, trying my best to hide my enjoyment at seeing her pout. I slide the door open and grab a towel from the hook.
She scoffs and pulls me back to her. “You better finish what you started, Baxter, or so help me… My hormones are not to be messed with right now.”
Chuckling, I kiss her lips, then kneel, kissing between the valley of her breasts on my way down. I place another lingering kiss on her stomach, gazing up at her as I continue farther down until I’m on my knees and push her legs open.
I lift her leg over my shoulder and steal a glance at her as she braces herself on the bar outside the shower.
Her pupils dilate.
Filled with hunger.
My sexy firecracker.
I swipe my tongue along her heat, enjoying the taste of her, already missing it when I pull back to lick my lips.
I continue my assault, licking every sweet inch of her.
Her hips buck.
The bathroom fills with more fog.
After a few more swipes of my tongue along the seam of her, she moves her hips, riding my face, seeking her pleasure.
It’s sexy.
So fucking sexy when she comes alive like this, under my touch.
For me.
Gripping her ass with both my hands, I continue sucking her until she trembles with her climax rippling through her in waves.
She cries my name.
She falls apart in my arms.
She’s mine—right where she belongs.
When she smiles down at me, a warm, sparkling smile, I know this is the beginning of the rest of our lives.
Chapter Thirty-Six
SAGE
Taylor: Are you almost here?
She’s at the office already? She’s early.
I type out a message to her, then glance up to make sure I’m not walking into oncoming traffic.
Me: Two blocks away. Everything okay?
Once I make it safely across the street, I check the new message from Taylor.
Taylor: Yeah. But you don’t want to miss this.
Confused, I pick up my pace and race toward CJJ. I’m almost out of breath when I reach the double doors and head inside.
When I step off the elevator, Taylor stands outside her office, her arms crossed.
The whole suite is quiet. No clicking keys, ringing phones, or light chatter.
The few people, mostly assistants, pretend to look busy, but they keep stealing glances toward Mr. Cartright’s office.
There are muffled voices coming from that direction, and all I can make out is Mr. Cartright’s voice that someone isn’t a team player and that they’re causing more drama than they’re worth.
I jump when Piper flings the door to his office open and rushes out, her hands balled into fists at her sides.
Once I reach Taylor, I set my things on my desk. “What’s going on?”
“Piper finally got fired.” She bites her nail, a slow grin spreading, and she claps. “Hot damn, it’s the best wedding present I could’ve received.”
“What?” I freeze.
“I knew all I had to do was wait for karma to bite her on the ass.”
Frowning, I clutch my chest. She got fired? I mean, I didn’t like the woman, but I didn’t expect her to lose her job.
“Don’t be sad.” Taylor points at me. “You’re not going to feel so bad for her when you find out what she did.” Taylor leans her hip against the edge of my desk. Bending toward where I sit in my seat, she says, “That snake is the one who fed Tank McAllister the garbage about Jock Stock. Evidently, she’s friends with his girlfriend and whispered shit to her about the company.”
“Are you kidding me?” My jaw drops.
“I wish.” She grimaces. “She simply cannot stand for other people to be successful.”
“Do you think…” I glance from her to Piper’s office to my computer. “You don’t think that’s what she was doing on my computer, do you? Trying to get information on Jock Stock?”
“That’s exactly what happened.” She stands upright.
“But how did she know my password? I keep it locked at all times like they taught us in our cybersecurity training.”
“I talked with Maya before all this, and Piper, the little minx, slept with the IT guy and sexed your password of out him. The little—”
There’s a crash in Piper’s office, drawing our attention there. After a moment, she emerges, her mascara-streaked face scrunched. She narrows her eyes at us like her dismissal is our fault and storms in our direction.
“I hope you’re happy,” she sneers at Taylor. “You’ve had it out for me since I got here just because I didn’t like your stupid boss.”
“Catherine did nothing wrong.” Taylor’s face reddens. “Why do you insist on blaming everyone else? Why can’t you see you’re the problem?” Taylor steels herself in a challenge. “I didn’t make you sabotage our client.”
She scoffs, then squares her shoulders. “You didn’t deserve them as clients to begin with. They’re out of your league.” Piper turns her scathing glare toward me. “And you. You come in here trying to act like you’re better than everyone.”
I shake my head, confused. “Piper—”
She points to both Taylor and me, her face red. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m going to figure it out. You’ll pay for this. I—”
“Piper!” Mr. Cartright steps out of his office, his hands on his hips, as the security guard from downstairs enters the suite to escort her out.
I dip my head and turn my focus to my computer.
Piper’s sobs echo as she rushes out of the office with the guard right behind her.
Once the coast is clear, I pop into Taylor’s office. “How did you figure it all out?”
She leans back in her chair. “I had my suspicions, which were all but directly confirmed when I met with Tank’s agent. He refused to give up her name, so I didn’t have proof.” She throws her finger up. “But then, Maya’s client mentioned a dark-haired woman, who looked a lot like Piper, sniffing around trying to poach them. From there, I kept a close eye on her and found her getting real chummy with the IT guy in the break room. I asked him about her, and the rest came tumbling down.”
“I can’t believe it.” I worry my bottom lip. “What do we do now? Can we reach out to Tank’s people again?”
She taps her fingers on her desk. “I’m going to try Tank’s agent and see if he can publicly retract his attack now. I couldn’t convince him at the meeting. The evidence of Jock Stock’s legitimacy wasn’t enough for them, but I bet I know a new angle to try this time—discrediting Piper, for starters.”
“I have an idea too,” I say at the same time she snaps her fingers and says, “There’s another tactic we can try.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and wait for her to go on, but she stares at me expectantly. “You go ahead,” I offer.
“No, no. What’re you thinking?”
“What if Tank tries the app and sees for himself? I mean, they’ve completed countless beta tests. Since the numbers and feedback you gave McAllister didn’t work, why not let him try the product?”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking!” She nods. “He can get a firsthand look at it and feel more assured that the app is legitimate.”
“Definitely,” I beam.
“It’s perfect.” She picks up her phone, then drops it before I turn. “Don’t be afraid to speak up, Sage. I want to hear your ideas.”
I give her a small smile, agreeing to do so in the future, then walk back to my desk, feeling lighter.
It’s almost lunch time when Taylor re-emerges from her office. She leans her hip against my desk again and grins—it’s a victorious one. “I made a few calls and finally got through to Tank’s agent, and I spoke with Westin too. We’re going to all sit down tomorrow afternoon and arrange for Tank to try out the app.”
“Fantastic. I can’t wait to tell—”
“Th
ere’s more.” She rubs her hands together. “If all goes well from there, we’re going to discuss Tank’s public retraction and endorsement of the app, and there’s a possibility Tank will make an appearance at the launch party.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Seriously? That would all be huge.”
“Bigger than huge.” She bounces against my desk like we’ve discovered gold, which in a way, we have. “Dare I say Piper’s meddling was a blessing?”
“I think it’s fair to admit.”
“We have a lot of work to do. Can you order us some lunch? We’ll eat in my office.”
“Will do.”
My phone vibrates on the desk with a message from Aiden.
Aiden: Tank McAllister might come to our party? Are you kidding?
Me: Well, there are still a few moving parts, but aren’t you glad you hired us?
I add a kissy emoji and sit back, a large weight lifted off my shoulders.
Aiden: Yes, for many reasons. Mainly because it brought you back to me.
I sink into my chair, melting like a bowl of ice cream during a hot summer afternoon.
“I assume Aiden put this blush on your cheeks?” Taylor appears next to me, and I jump in my seat. “Everything’s going well, then?”
“Better than well.” I smile, blushing harder as I think about our shower a few mornings ago.
“I’m glad to see you like this, Sage.” She pats my shoulder and walks away toward the restrooms, leaving me with so much warmth in my chest.
It’s good to feel this way—happy.
An hour later, my cell phone rings, and Aiden’s face lights up my screen.
“Let’s go out this weekend,” he says as soon as I answer. “Somewhere romantic. Wear something sexy.”
I picture the dress I already bought for this weekend, and I can imagine Aiden’s drool.
I peer over my shoulder at Taylor behind her desk. Her ring shines when she switches the phone to her other ear. “What’s more romantic than a wedding?” I ask him.
There’s a pause on his end.
“Aiden?”
He clears his throat. “What do you mean?”
“Taylor’s getting married this weekend, remember?”
“Oh, right. I forgot that was coming up so soon.”
“What did you think I meant?” I giggle.
“When should we go?” He sidesteps my question altogether.
“The wedding is Saturday, but we should stay a few days. Make a mini-vacation out of it. What do you say?”
“I like the sound of that.” He perks back up.
“Okay. I have to get back to work, so I can put all my focus on you this weekend.”
“That’s an even better idea. Get to it. And, Jersey?”
“Yeah?”
“Love you.”
I hang up, feeling heat creep to my cheeks again, blushing like he screamed to the whole office that we’ll be together this weekend.
Which will hopefully include a lot of naked time.
I take in the office—they’ve mostly resumed business as usual. People walk around with coffee mugs, papers in the crooks of their arms, Bluetooth headsets on.
But there’s a special feeling in the air. The kind similar to Christmas.
When I first came to this city, when I first entered this office, I was optimistic. I was ready to start fresh and hoped for the best.
But now… my life is becoming so much more than I ever dreamed. More than the things on my bucket list. More than anything my imagination could’ve conjured.
I have a job that could launch my career and my future. Friends who keep me sane. A man who loves me.
A baby on the way.
The past is behind us, a new future lies ahead, and for the first time in a while, I’m moving forward with a mended heart.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
SAGE
There’s something about weddings. The flowers, music, and people gushing. The love at their center.
When we first arrived at Taylor and Joe’s ceremony earlier, my stomach sank. The white arch decorated in peonies and baby’s breath with green accents. The sun shining through the windows. The soft piano music.
It reminded me of my wedding. Of what was supposed to be the best day of my life, but there was so much missing that day. It wasn’t like Taylor’s day, which has been filled with family, friends, and loud, joyous chaos as everyone dotes on the newlyweds.
Watching Taylor with her mother almost gutted me.
I haven’t spoken with my mom since our phone call when I told her how disappointed I was, not that she’s tried to contact me. I wish I could be close to her. That I could go to my mother when I need advice or even a simple hug.
But I’ve never had that kind of relationship with her. I thought we could after I divorced Dave. All these years, I thought he was the problem, the one who put even more distance between my mother and me, but as it turns out, my mother and I are simply two different people with different values—to put it nicely, anyway.
I’ve vowed every day since I found out I’m having a baby that I wouldn’t turn into her. That I’ll be driven in my career, but I’ll always put my child first.
I’ll attend as many school plays and recitals as I can.
And I’ll most certainly put my child’s report cards up on the refrigerator and tell them how proud of them I am.
Aiden too.
He and I made it to the hotel last night in time to wash up and go to a candlelight dinner at a restaurant on the water. We held hands as we walked along the boardwalk afterward.
The sea breeze fanned my hair.
I could almost taste salt on his lips when I kissed him underneath the stars.
It was a quiet night, but when we got back to our hotel room, he made me scream. Tremble. Writhe.
He made me come so many times, it was like he was trying to beat a record, which was more than fine by me. I’m crazy about him as it is, but these new hormones heighten my sensitivity.
I steal one more glance at Aiden from my spot on the dance floor, where I wait for Taylor to toss the bouquet.
He’s had a funny look about him all evening. A bright glimmer in his eyes. A constant twitch of his lips like he has a secret.
He’s extra sexy tonight too. His beard is trimmed to a mere scruff, and he got his hair cut before we left for the weekend, which makes him seem less rugged and chaotic but still as intense as usual.
This new peace about him makes the butterflies in my stomach run wild.
After Catherine catches the bouquet, holding it up like she won an Olympic trophy, I practically bounce to my seat next to Aiden. I kiss his lips, then pull back as a server asks if we’d like a glass of champagne.
Aiden grabs two and starts to hand me one, but stops himself. “When will you be able to drink again?” he whispers. “Because obviously, I’m having a hard time getting it through my brain.”
I giggle, scooting closer to him. “If it makes you feel better, I have a hard time remembering too.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better after I got some carbs in me.” I rub my stomach, recalling the numerous trips to the bathroom today. “They should call it all-day sickness instead of morning sickness.”
He squeezes my hand, bringing it to his lips, and kisses my knuckles.
“Sage!” Catherine and Taylor wave me back to the dance floor.
“Be right back.” I kiss Aiden’s cheek and pull my dress up, so I don’t step on it as I walk toward them.
“Catherine, it’s great to see you again.” I give her a hug. “How have you been? California still treating you well?”
“Always, especially with my assistant Tristan by my side. He’s been a godsend.” She holds her hand over her chest as the other with the bouquet drops to her side. “I thought I’d never recover when I lost Taylor, but Tristan has been amazing.”
“He’s not as great as me, but I’m glad you found someone.” Taylor touches her shoul
der with her free hand while the other holds her dress up. She’s stunning in her floor-length ivory gown that hugs her slim curves. “And I too found someone perfect for me.”
I dip my head, blushing.
“I would not have survived work and planning a wedding and remembering to eat without Sage.” She turns to me. “You literally saved my life.”
“You’re very sweet.” I hug her, squeezing my arms around her. “Thank you for everything.”
“Taylor tells me you’ve been a great asset and do a lot of the social media marketing,” Catherine says.
“Taylor’s put a lot of her trust in me.”
“Because she deserves it.” Taylor hooks her thumb at me. “She’s been kicking ass and will not be my assistant for long.”
“Oh, I…” My throat goes dry as I glance between them.
Taylor turns her sly grin toward me. “With Piper gone, we’re going to need a new publicist soon, and Catherine here still has a lot of pull with Cartwright and the other partners.”
I blink between them. “Are you serious?”
Catherine smiles into her drink, then takes a sip.
Taylor squeezes my hand. “Honey, you’re over-qualified to be an assistant, but we all have to start somewhere. It’s New York, and CJJ is a premier company. It’s the big league, so starting as an assistant was good for you to learn the ropes and climb, babe.”
I try to swallow to wet my dry throat, but it’s difficult. Being a publicist at CJJ would be a dream come true—everything I’ve worked for. “That would be amazing, Taylor,” I manage, still stunned. “Thank you so much for believing in me.”
“I knew you had it in you. It’s why I hired you.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. As if she’s not making my heart so full it could burst.
A handsome man with blue-green eyes and dark brown hair appears by Catherine’s side. She closes her eyes when he kisses her cheek. Turning back to me, she says, “We’ll talk soon.” She wraps her arms around the man’s waist and introduces him to me. “This is my boyfriend, Jackson. Jackson, this is Sage, Taylor’s kick-ass assistant.”
Unbreakable: A Salvation Society Novel Page 24