“Why do I not like the sound of that?”
I licked my lips, feeling like I was about to throw up. “I have to stay on with Robert’s firm for the rest of the week.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I can still work from his apartment,” I rushed on. “I can have all the calls transferred to my phone and I’ll bring the laptop with me. I can do most everything from there.”
“You can do everything from your desk at my office,” he countered.
“I’m doing it for Robert.”
“I don’t give a shit. You work for me, not him.”
“I don’t have a choice! His boss is a massive dick and he threatened Robert if I don’t stay on to keep this client happy.”
“Robert’s a big boy. He doesn’t need your protection.”
“He threatened to have Robert disbarred.”
Eric went silent, then shook his head slightly. “Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s a massive dick. Robert’s up for senior partner and he’s holding this case over Robert’s head. His client, Rebecca, she likes me for some reason and she wants me involved in her case. She insists that the only way she’ll stay with the firm is if I’m on her case.”
“But you’re not a lawyer.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I snapped. I ran my shaky hand through my hair. God, this was a clusterfuck. “Her case will bring in millions for the company and his boss is more concerned about that than anything else. When the meeting was over today, he told me that if I didn’t do what he wanted, he would have Robert disbarred. He’s insane. So, I agreed, because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. Being a lawyer is everything to Robert. He worked his ass off to be where he is. I can’t let this asshole rip that away from him. Besides, there’s just this one thing that has to be dealt with, and as soon as Robert’s sure that it’s handled, his boss won’t care if I’m there or not.”
“When are you going to tell him?”
“I don’t know. I want to wait, just a little bit so he can focus on the case. Maybe when he’s close to wrapping it up I’ll tell him. Then he can start planning on how to get out of there without risking everything.”
“Anna, if he threatened to have him disbarred once, he could do it again. What could you possibly do?”
“I don’t know,” I shouted. “But I can’t let him lose everything.”
Eric stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a weird hug. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll find someone else to cover you until this is over.”
I pulled back and frowned. “You’re not firing me?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Who would I replace you with? I’m used to you. Besides, if you’re gone, who’s going to throw coffee mugs at me?”
Robert
When Anna arrived at my place tonight, I couldn’t help but stare her down. I remembered all the things she had said about me at that lunch, about how I was her best friend. Those feelings all rang true with me still. I knew I had let her down, but that didn’t mean that I stopped loving her. I wanted her, needed her, and now she was going to be staying with me. Hell, we were playing the part of the loving couple that were going to get married. And we had to play it well when Rebecca was around. If she found out that I had deceived her, I would lose the contract for sure.
“Are you going to let me in?” Anna asked warily.
I shook my head and stepped aside. “Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”
She nodded and stepped past me with two bags in her hands.
“The cleaning service comes twice a week, and I had them make sure your room was ready for you. Anything you need, just let me know and I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
“A cleaning service? Robert, this place is already spotless. It can’t be that hard to keep clean.”
“I work a lot. I don’t have time to clean.”
She nodded and set her bags down, slipping her coat off. “Um…where should I…”
I stared at her, watching as she flushed slightly as she stared back at me. Did she still want me? Did she still think about me the way she used to? I watched her throat work, watched as she swallowed hard and bit down on her lip. God, I wanted her.
“Robert?”
“Huh?”
“My coat? Where can I hang it?”
“Oh, right. Uh, closet,” I said, walking over to the hidden closet by the front door. I popped it open and took out a hanger, slipping her coat onto it. When I turned back around, she looked uneasy.
“Is this going to be a problem?”
“What?”
“Me, being here, pretending that you’re my fiancé.”
I laughed humorlessly, dropping my gaze to the floor. “You know, there’s nothing I wouldn’t give for another chance with you.”
“You had another chance.”
“You gave me three days, Anna. You put an expiration date on it. That’s not giving me a chance.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say. We’re not-“
“The same people,” I finished. “I know. You keep telling me that. But you don’t really know me anymore.” She looked away and I stepped closer, slowly creeping into her space. I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her in close to me. “All that stuff you said about me in the restaurant, was that true?”
She wouldn’t look me in the eyes. Her gaze was firmly locked on my lips. She still wanted me.
“Robert, what we had…it was a long time ago.”
“And you can honestly tell me that you don’t feel that way now? That you don’t still think about me and wish that I was the man that came to rescue you from your house? Because I think about you all the time, Anna. I wish that I had stayed. I wish that I was still the man that you would wait eagerly for. I may wear a suit and tie now, but I’m still the man that loves you. That hasn’t changed in all these years.”
Tears pricked her eyes and she swiped at them. “You left,” she whispered.
“Thirteen years ago,” I whispered, cupping her face in my hands. “I was seventeen years old, Anna. I made mistakes. I was a stupid kid that didn’t know what to do. I’ve hated myself all these years, wishing that I could go back and change what happened between us. I would have never slept with you, if that meant that I could hang onto you. I would have given up everything to stay by your side. You’ve always been it for me, Anna. You said that you’ve forgotten about that stuff, that you’ve let it go, but you’re still hanging onto that anger like it’s your redemption. Just let it go. Be with me.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I want to, but I’m scared.”
“We can still have what we used to. You just have to let me back in. Let me be the man you used to know.”
Her eyes lifted to mine and I crashed my lips down on hers. She tasted sweet and salty from her tears. Years of longing crashed into that kiss, filling me up so much that I lost control. I picked her up and carried her into my bedroom, loving the way her fingers dug into my hair and pulled at my shirt. She needed me just as much as I needed her. I laid her down and tore at her clothes, needing her skin next to mine. Last time wasn’t like this. It was different for her. It was about taking something she used to have. This was about mixing the old with the new. Taking what we used to have and making it stronger.
I kissed down her neck as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I ran my hands over her body, caressing the soft skin like it was the first time. Her nipples pressed against her thin bra, begging for my touch. I sucked one into my mouth through the fabric and moaned at her gasp of pleasure. I was hard and started grinding against her. Her clothes were in my way, keeping me from the warmth of her body.
I tore myself from her, grasping the hem of her jeans and peeling them down her body. The desire in her eyes was palpable, and this time, when I pulled her toward me and licked my way up her thighs, there was no hesitation on her part. She wanted this as much as I did. I slowly licked at her pussy, tasting he
r, memorizing her, devouring her.
“Robert,” she moaned, sliding her fingers into my hair. Just the sound of that sweet voice set me off. I sucked her clit into my mouth, tugging hard until she writhed beneath me. I slid my fingers into her pussy and pumped, but I didn’t have the time for making her squirt right now, no matter how much she wanted it. I had to be inside her.
I barely shoved my pants down before sliding into her heat, filling her up with my cock. She was ready this time, not as tight as the last time I took her. I stared down into her eyes as they sparkled at me. Slowly, I bent down and kissed her, slipping my tongue into her mouth as I withdrew my cock. Her breath fanned out against my face as I stalled at her entrance. I kept eye contact, knowing she was waiting for it, waiting for me to take her.
I smiled slightly and then thrust hard inside her, burying myself so deep in her body that I saw stars. She cried out and I pulled out, thrusting inside her again. I could feel her nails digging into me, her body squeezing tight around my cock. But it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough with her. I spread her wide and buried my cock over and over inside her, pounding her so hard that my cock ached from the pressure. Her fingers slid up my chest, clawing at me, needing me the way I needed her. My balls slapped against her ass and she groaned, loving the feel of me fucking her hard.
I flipped her over and spread her cheeks wide, settling between her legs. She bent over, shoving her ass toward my face, wiggling slightly, like she was tempting me to take her, to taste her. I bent forward and kissed her ass cheek, slowly running my tongue across her skin until I saw that puckered flesh waiting for me. I licked her pussy, holding her cheeks wide as I devoured the juices leaking out of her. She moaned and pushed back against me, fucking herself on my tongue. I slowly slid my lips up to her asshole, dipping my tongue just inside. She cried out and thrust back, shoving me deeper inside her. My thumb played with her clit, teasing her as I licked at her. I kissed up her spine until I was kneeling behind her, ready to shove my cock back in her pussy. She glanced over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at me, daring me to take her hard. I slid my cock through her lips, getting my dick nice and wet before stalling at her entrance. I pressed my thumb to her tight ring and pressed inside just as I pushed my cock into her pussy. She jolted forward and grasped at the sheets.
I pulled back and pulled my thumb out, then pushed back in again, shoving my thumb even further into her ass. She cried out again, begging for more. My hips started working in overtime, my balls slapping against her clit with every motion. Before I knew it, she was thrusting her ass back against me, giving me as good as she was getting. My balls drew up and I felt the familiar surge of tingles spreading through my body. I rubbed her clit, feeling her tense as her own orgasm raced through her. She strangled my cock with her pussy and then cried out as I rammed my thumb in and out of her ass, driving her orgasm even higher. I exploded inside her, my cum leaking out of her as I laid against her back, panting hard.
I pulled my suit jacket on and made sure my tie was straight as I stared down at Anna sleeping. She looked amazing in my bed, and I planned to keep her there this time around. The last time she was here, she didn’t really want to give me a chance. I think I knew that deep down. This time was different. I could feel her giving in to me. I could feel her finally letting go of the baggage between us.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and bent over her, brushing my lips against hers. She flinched back, swatting at her face before falling back to sleep. Chuckling to myself, I did it again. This time, she scrunched up her nose and groaned. I kissed her again and again until she finally kissed me back.
“Good morning.”
She opened those beautiful eyes and blinked slowly. “That’s kind of a mean way to wake someone up.”
“Mean would have been me kissing you here,” I said, slipping my hand under the covers to her underwear, “and then leaving before you got off.”
Her breath hitched and she spread her legs. I could feel her heat through the thin fabric of her panties, and I couldn’t help myself. I slid my fingers inside and brushed them over her wet lips. Slowly, I trailed my fingers up to her clit, but just when I was getting started, my phone rang.
She groaned in frustration as I pulled out my phone, continuing to play with her. It was my brother, Derek.
“Hey, man. We missed you at Thanksgiving.”
“Yeah,” he said hesitantly. “We uh…some shit went down at work. It was completely out of my control.”
I grunted, knowing all too well how that went. “Listen, I need a favor.”
“Does this involve Anna?”
I frowned and pulled my fingers away from her. I couldn’t concentrate on both tasks at the same time, and I didn’t want to accidentally tell him that I was fingering her when I was talking about Rebecca.
“Hold on.”
I bent over and kissed Anna, holding my hand over the speaker of the phone. “I’ll see you tonight. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
“Does the doorman know I’m allowed back in?” she asked, her eyebrow quirking playfully.
“Yes, he knows. I’ll call you on my way home.” With another kiss, I walked out of the room and returned to my phone call. “Are you still there?”
“Was that Anna?”
“How the hell do you know about Anna?”
“Oh, come on. Joe called right after Thanksgiving and told me all about it. Besides, it’s on the town Facebook page.”
I stopped outside the elevator and frowned. “It’s what?”
“It’s on the town Facebook page.”
“Since when do you belong to that group? You don’t even live in Indiana.”
“Since the only time I hear about what’s going on with my brothers is when someone posts something about you.”
“This isn’t about Anna.”
“Then who were you kissing goodbye?”
“Anna.”
“Ah, so this is about Anna.”
“No, this is about Rebecca.”
“Rebecca?” he asked in confusion. “Who’s she? Is she on the town Facebook page?”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with the town Facebook page!” I shouted, flinching when the doors opened and I saw an older couple waiting to get on. I nodded my apologies and headed for my car. “Look, Rebecca is a client and I need your services for a while.”
“How long is a while?”
“I don’t know. A few months.”
“A few months? Do you have any idea how much that’s going to cut into my time with Claire? Do you know how many fantasies I’ll miss out on?”
I grimaced and got in my car, slamming the door. “Look, I don’t really need to hear about your fantasies with Claire.”
“I bet I could give you a few pointers.”
“Thanks, but I’m doing just fine with Anna.”
“Ah-ha! So, the rumors are true! I hear you’re planning a wedding and everything.”
“What?”
“Yeah, and this is how I find out. Thanks a lot, man. Nice that everyone else in town knows you’re getting married before me.”
“I’m not getting married!”
“You’re not?”
“No!”
“Then who is?”
“Eric and Kat.”
“Seriously?” There was a pause and then he exploded. “Does nobody tell me anything?”
I didn’t have time for this. “Can you help me or not?”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “What are we talking here? Ex-mafia? Sabotage? Ooh, espionage?”
“Derek, I’m a divorce lawyer.”
He sighed heavily. “So, something boring. Restraining order? Seriously, I’m being dragged away from my sexy lady for a restraining order?”
“It’s more complicated than that. The husband is cheating and she wants a divorce, but she can’t get it in Illinois without losing everything. We’re moving her, but we had to have her sign a will so the husband wasn’t suspicious. If he
finds out that she’s planning on taking away everything from him, he could have her killed and take everything.”
More silence. “Wow, and who came up with this brilliant plan that could put her life in potential danger?”
“Anna, but there’s more to the story than that.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet. Let me talk to Cap. We may have to contract this one out. I’m not sure if the company has any teams available for such a lengthy assignment.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Yeah, you owe me big time. And tell Eric that I want an invite to the wedding. I’m hurt that he hasn’t told me.”
“You are not.”
“Fine, I’m not, but you can bet that I’ll lay it on thick when he finally gets around to calling me.”
“If it makes you feel any better, he and Kat aren’t really planning this. The town sort of took over.”
“Christ, I’m glad I don’t live there.”
“Right, just amongst people that kill others for fun.”
“Hey, it’s not for fun. Mostly.”
“Whatever. I’ll talk to you later.”
Anna
I had finished with work hours ago and Robert still wasn’t home. I was bored. Even with a whole city around me, ready to explore, I was so bored that I was ready to go to bed, just to have something to do. I didn’t care about exploring the city. I longed for the quiet of the country. I wanted to walk out my front door and sit on my patio. Okay, my patio was technically a patch of dirt, but someday I would have that house that I wanted and I would be able to sit on the wrap around porch any time I wanted and enjoy the peace and quiet of the country.
I could look out the windows from here, but if I wanted to go out, that required me to go down in the elevator and walk through the lobby, only to be greeted by dozens of people walking on the streets. That was no way to live.
I glanced at the clock again, noting that only ten minutes had passed. It was now ten after ten and there was still no word from Robert. Maybe I should just go to bed. I turned off the TV and headed for the bedroom when my phone rang. I quickly picked it up, smiling when I saw it was him.
Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Page 19