by Parker, Ali
He slowly shook his head, his hair dancing across his brow. “The actual stars.”
“Daring.”
“My backyard. It’s completely private. This summer, I want you under me. I want you in the soft grass staring up at the stars like you are doing now.”
He was spinning a tale that made me very excited. I wasn’t big on public displays, but if it was private, it could be very exciting. “I think I like the sound of that very much.”
He moved deeper inside me. The intensity of his movements increasing as his need rose higher. “Dammit, you turn me inside out,” he growled.
“I want to be on top,” I said.
“I can’t stop,” he grunted.
“I want you to see this view when I ride you into sweet oblivion.”
I didn’t have to ask twice. He flipped to his back, holding me over him until I adjusted myself and slid home. I released a breath and dropped my head back. His hands went to my breasts and squeezed. I stared up at the stars before looking down at him.
“You’re right,” he said, sounding strained.
I was caught up in the moment. “What?”
“It’s a beautiful view.”
He was looking at me, not the stars. I smiled and gave in to the need that was demanding I move faster. I drove on, pushing higher and harder until I was losing all control. I was at the mercy of my body’s demands for release. I gripped his chest as the orgasm held me in its grasp. I couldn’t breathe. My gaze focused on the ancient city skyline.
His loud grunts and howls as he released himself inside me were music to my ears. I collapsed onto his chest, relishing in the feel of his hot skin pressed against mine. His arms came around me, holding me close against him as our breathing returned to normal.
“Holy shit,” he finally said.
I softly laughed. “This room is dangerous. You could be responsible for a population boom.”
He chuckled. The sound vibrated through my body. I could feel myself falling hard. Lying next to him was tender and sweet. “I will definitely be hiring a security guard. Hell, maybe I won’t open this place at all. It will be just for me and you. It will be our special place.”
I smiled. “I like the sound of that. But you have to share this with the world. It’s too awesome to keep hidden.”
“If you say so.”
I lay on top of him for several minutes. I was completely sated and comfortable. I could have fallen asleep and stayed right where I was. “I should probably get home,” I said after a while.
“I wish you could stay,” he replied. He sounded sincere. I wanted to stay. I had responsibilities that required my attention.
“I would love to stay, but we both know I can’t.”
I rolled off him. Instead of me getting up, he rolled on top of me. “I’ll just hold you down with my body.”
His words triggered a response in my body that had me gasping. “Okay,” I answered.
He kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. I didn’t want to let go. Fear was what had me releasing him. I was terrified I was falling hard for him and he was going to hurt me again. I pushed him off me and scrambled around in the dark to find my clothes.
I wasn’t afraid I was falling for him. That had already happened. I was terrified of what came next. What happened when he decided it was over?
“Mae, are you okay?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “I’m good. Why?”
He came to me, his open shirt revealing that sexy chest of his. He put his hands on my shoulders and forced me to look at him. “You are acting like you can’t get out of here fast enough.”
“I’m sorry. It isn’t that. Hayden will be home soon, and I don’t want her going home to an empty house.”
He kissed my forehead. “Okay.”
He insisted on walking me to my car, which was very sweet. He gave me another searing kiss before releasing me to get into my car. I drove away with my heart doing a very strange pitter-patter in my chest. The man held such power over me. He melted away all the defenses I had in place. Defenses that had gone up because of him. How dumb was I to allow him to get me to drop them?
I tried to tell myself it was okay. It wasn’t real love. It was the stirring up of old feelings. Things were different now. I was an adult. I could have a relationship with a man without falling head over heels in love. When that relationship came to an end, I would move forward with my life. No big deal.
“Bullshit,” I muttered, looking at myself in the rearview mirror.
Tyson was a very big deal. You never forgot your first love. You never truly got over the man that owned your heart.
Chapter 44
Tyson
I walked into the same diner where I had run into Patrick. Yes, I was being very obvious in my attempt to reconnect with my friend. The little comments on the boat still weighed heavily on my shoulders. He himself had said I was the right guy for Mae. Well, not me, but a version of me. But she could have the real thing.
He was still being the overprotective big brother. I kept telling myself I needed to man up. I needed to come clean about what I wanted and how serious I was about her. I would be the one to protect her. He could take a step back. He could sail away on his boat and not worry about her. She would be in good hands with me.
When I showed up at the diner, I was not intending on eating breakfast. Then I smelled the bacon and eggs and the scent of fresh waffles. It triggered my appetite and I found myself ordering a full breakfast. I would regret it later. I would be full and in need of a nap. It was too good to pass up.
“Would you like this?” an elderly gentleman asked.
I looked up and saw the newspaper in his hand. “Yes, please. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your breakfast.”
I pushed the plate to the side and opened the paper. I scanned the headlines, not terribly interested in the news. Until I saw the headline about a rare statue that would soon be on display at a museum. Mae’s museum. I smiled as I read the article. She was getting plenty of publicity and she had yet to display the thing yet. I read about the new owner and her future plans. I found myself smiling the whole time I read the article.
I knew it was her hand. She was drumming up the publicity, teasing the big unveiling. The woman was smart and calculated. I knew, without a doubt, she was going to take that museum to the next level. She was truly going to be my rival. I was proud of her and a little intimidated by her as well. I wanted to congratulate her and swat her down at the same time.
But it was Mae. I would never wish ill will on her. I couldn’t get the teacher’s words out of my mind. If we did join forces, we would be powerful. Her expertise and mine would be a combination that made us unstoppable. We could dominate the for-profit museum industry. We could give people a historical experience. Selling tickets that provided entry into both museums would make people feel like they were getting a good deal. The possibilities were endless.
I needed someone to give me some advice. I knew only one man that knew me well enough to give me sound advice. Only one man I trusted. I called Alec, hoping he would answer. He did.
“Hey, what’s up?” he said.
“Not much. How is it going?”
“Good. Great.”
“How is your family?” I asked, doing my best to be a good friend and ask about his personal life.
“Very good. We had a big barbecue over the weekend. It was nice to catch up with everyone. Loud, but nice.”
“Great.”
“What’s going on? Are you at the office?”
“No, I’m eating breakfast.”
“Breakfast? You?”
“I know. I feel so lazy.”
“How are things at the museum?”
“I did a tour yesterday. Something like eighty eighth graders.”
“You did?” he asked with real surprise. “Like you actually gave the tour?”
“I did. It was Mae’s idea. We star
ted at her museum and then the group came over to mine.”
“Mae? Kendell? Are you two still seeing each other?”
I paused to think about the question. “I don’t know if you could say we are seeing each other, but I have seen her.”
“Nice dodge. You should be a politician.”
“She’s great at her job. Really good. She has some great ideas. Really great.”
He laughed. “And she likes dirt and old things. It sounds like a match made in heaven.”
“Someone suggested we join forces,” I said, leaving the statement at that and waiting to see what he would say.
“As in you buy her museum? Didn’t do you do that once already?”
I smirked. “It wasn’t her museum, but essentially, yes.”
“Have you broached the subject with her?”
“No!” I quickly blurted out.
“Are you thinking about approaching her with an offer?” he questioned.
“I don’t think so.”
He laughed. “You just said you wanted to buy her museum.”
“No, I said I wanted to join forces. More like someone mentioned it and it sounded like a good idea after I gave it some thought.”
He blew out a breath. “This is the same family that offered you a merger the first time around. You said you didn’t want a merger. I suggested it and you shot it down. What is different now?”
I sipped my coffee. My immediate answer would be it was Mae. Mae was what was different. “I think it would be different this time because it’s a museum. It’s an established museum. It’s got different things than mine. It’s more of a complement to my current business. A merger would allow her to have her museum and me to keep mine.”
“That’s not a real merger,” he replied. “You want to own her business. Would she own yours?”
I winced. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound all that appealing.”
“A merger is like a marriage. You would be joining your business. You would be creating a union.”
“I would be the majority owner,” I said.
He laughed. “Yeah, I’m not sure she would agree with that.”
“My museum is bigger than hers.”
His raucous laughter filled my ears. “Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? There is no way she’s going to go for that. I don’t even know her, and I know she would tell you to get bent.”
I didn’t think it was funny. My museum wasn’t just bigger, but it was more valuable. I didn’t just own one museum. “I can’t give up my business.”
“No, I don’t believe you could. I don’t know if you are really cut out to be a partner. You are more of a lone ranger. A merger means you have to listen to her suggestions. You have to answer for your spending. It’s not something you can go into without considering all the aspects of it. It’s a big deal.”
He was talking me out of it. “What if I offered her a silent partnership?”
He chuckled. “She would still be a partner. She would still be in the board room and reading your profit and loss reports. She would still have a say in what you bought. She could limit your expeditions if she chose to.”
“She wouldn’t do that,” I shot back.
“Tyson, your expeditions are not cheap. If you want to do it on the company dime, you do need to be accountable for those expenditures.”
I was beginning to like the idea less and less. “She isn’t like that,” I insisted.
“Have you ever heard the saying about the dangers of mixing business with pleasure?”
“Yes, but this is different.”
“It isn’t. Sleeping with someone does not make them a great choice for a business partner.”
He was right. I could already picture her trying to boss me around. “I knew you could talk me off the ledge.”
He laughed. “With all of that said, I have been keeping an eye on things back home. I could understand why you want a merger. She is going to be stiff competition. You know I’ve approached that owner a couple of different times and he never would consider any offer. It’s interesting she got it.”
I smiled, thinking about my Mae. “If you met her, you would understand why he gave her the business.”
He groaned. “You are sprung.”
“Maybe a little but you would be too if you met her.”
“Good to know. Well, I can’t tell you what to do, but I would strongly advise against a merger. I’m not trying to be a dick, but you don’t play well with others.”
“Hey,” I said, only pretending to be offended.
“You know it’s true. You’re an excellent businessman, and you know what you like, and you do it well. However, giving up even a little bit of control is going to be extremely difficult for you. I would hate for you to make a decision you regret. I believe you could do it, but it will take a lot of work and compromise on your part. Don’t be hasty. Think this through.”
“I would. I am. I only wanted your opinion. I don’t know if it is something she would even consider. After the tours yesterday and how well we worked together, it seemed like a good idea. I’m riding the high of a very good day.”
“It could work,” he offered. “It could be amazing. Think about it. Talk to her. Discuss how you would handle big decisions and how much one another would be involved in your respective museums.”
“Thank you. That is great advice and I will absolutely follow through with it.”
“You are welcome and good luck. I would love to see you expand.”
“I should probably let you go. Are you at work?”
“Tyson, I’m in Seattle.”
“And?”
“And it’s six o’clock in the morning here.”
“Oh shit!” I blurted out. “I’m so sorry. I forget all about the time difference.”
“It’s okay. I was up. Just had my morning run and getting ready to jump in the shower. It was good to talk to you.”
“Thanks for listening,” I told him and ended the call.
I felt a little guilty for calling him so early. I had to remember to be more conscientious. I felt different this morning. I felt like I woke up in another man’s life. I wasn’t the guy who had a girlfriend. I wasn’t the guy that felt happy. I was the serious loner who preferred artifacts to anything else. Yet, here I was, daydreaming about a woman.
I folded the paper in half, finished my breakfast, and paid the bill. Feeling especially happy put me in a generous mood. I left my waitress a hundred-dollar tip and walked out. When I got into the back of my car, I checked the time. I didn’t want to make another social faux pas and call her before it was appropriate.
I knew she was up. She would have been up for hours. She was probably already at work. “Hi,” she answered in a breathy tone.
“Hi, Mae,” I said with a smile that just appeared naturally.
“What’s up?”
“Are you busy for lunch later?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Would you like to have lunch with me?”
Her soft laugh came through. “I don’t know if I have two hours to eat lunch at one of your fancy restaurants.”
“Just a basic lunch,” I assured her. “I was hoping we could discuss something.”
“What would you like to discuss?”
“Will you have lunch with me?”
“Yes. Noon?”
“I’ll pick you up,” I told her.
“See you then.”
I ended the call and was attacked by a sudden case of the nerves. Did I dare approach her with something so big? I wasn’t this person. This was the kind of thing Alec handled. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and pulled my shit together. I was a grown fucking man and it was time I acted like it. I could handle my business, literally and figuratively.
I would present the offer to Mae in a professional manner. I would highlight the benefits. With us together, she would have the funds needed to make all of those improvements she wanted. She could take her
museum from okay to fabulous. I would be her partner instead of her competition.
How could she possibly say no?
Chapter 45
Mae
“What was that about?” Carrie asked.
I picked up my cup of coffee and took a sip. The echoing of little kids’ screams and sounds of joy filled my ears. The McDonald’s playland was always crazy this time of the morning. It was when moms of young kids dropped off the big kids and met up with their gal pals for a little chit chat and coffee. I called Carrie early this morning and invited her to breakfast with me. I was neglecting her, and I had a little free time this morning.
“That was Tyson,” I answered. “He wants to take me to lunch.”
“Damn, this is serious. Dinner. Lunch. Sex. Can we just call him your boyfriend?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, you may not call him my boyfriend. He is not my boyfriend. He’s a guy that I enjoy hanging out with.”
“And banging.”
“Stop it.”
She took a bite of her egg sandwich before wiping her mouth and looking directly at me. “Seriously, how are you doing with all of this? I know he broke your heart a long time ago. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s not serious,” I told her again.
“Mae, I know you. This isn’t something you do. You’re not one of those women who can have a fling and not let your feelings get involved.”
I grimaced. “I know,” I finally confessed “I’m trying. I’m so trying not to think of him as anything more than a guy I’m having a little fun with. It’s hard.”
There was a soft, sympathetic look in her eyes. “Are you in too deep?” she gently asked.
“I’m sure I am,” I said with a sigh. “I tried to keep those old feelings at bay. I have told myself a thousand times that I can’t let him have my heart. Not again. No matter how hard I try to stay away from him, I’m drawn to him. I’m the proverbial moth to a flame. I know I’m going to get burned and I go anyway.”
“Maybe you won’t,” she offered. “This time, you are both older, you are both far more mature, and things could work out.”