by Wolf, Alex
It’s not like I can defy Weston and head back to Decker’s house to see if that’s what happened. He’d write me up for insubordination, possibly fire me if he was in a pissed off mood, which he is. And what if I’m wrong? Then I’d look like a complete idiot.
No, I have to get on this plane, head home, keep my nose down, and kick serious ass on whatever Weston assigns me. Once the merger is complete, I can come back. That’s what I need to do, and pray Decker’s feelings for me don’t change in that timeframe.
It’s going to be a long couple of months without seeing him and Jenny, but I have to suck it up and get things done.
I check in and receive my boarding pass. Weston wasn’t messing around. I’m on the next flight to Dallas. One foot in front of the other, I head toward security. There’s nothing I can do, and I feel helpless with each step.
My heart breaks a little more as I near security. A small part of me wishes I’d never come to Chicago. I thought I knew how a broken heart felt when I broke up with my first serious boyfriend at college. Looking back, it doesn’t hold a candle this. It doesn’t compare to the way my heart pinched in my chest and my stomach tied itself into a knot when Weston let me have it.
It’s a shitty emotion—guilt. I’m not too familiar with it because I wall myself off from everyone except my family. Now, I begin to see why. My job is my life and I never fuck up at work, so I never experience the way my hands now tremble and the way every second now seems like an eternity.
Everywhere I look I see smiling faces, and I have this unbelievable urge to scream at the top of my lungs. Right now, I just want one thing. I want to go home, chug a bottle of wine, and wallow in self-pity. I might even shed a few tears. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to normal. That’s what I tell myself anyway.
I arrive at security and get scanned. Since I don’t have any bags, the process doesn’t take long. I grab a magazine someone left when I arrive at my gate. I slink down into the seat and flip through the pages. Nothing holds my attention, but it gives me something to do.
A woman and her two kids take up the seats next to me. The baby is red-faced and screams at the top of his lungs.
My temples throb and my chest aches. There’s a hole in my heart where Decker belongs. Across from me sits a couple who can’t keep their hands off each other. They whisper sweet nothings and talk about the fun stuff they’ll do on their honeymoon. My heart sinks further into my stomach. We weren’t close to marriage, but I thought someday it could happen. It seems silly, but when you know, you just know.
I grab a coffee and hope the caffeine makes me feel better. More like myself. I’m not used to these emotions. I’m a hard ass. I’m Tate Reynolds. I don’t do love and relationships. Maybe it is for the best I never told Decker the way I feel. The way I think about him constantly when he’s not there. The way I might suffocate if he’s not holding me. The way my heart comes alive when he looks in my direction.
“Now boarding flight 292 to Dallas.” The loudspeaker interrupts my reverie.
Here goes nothing.
I grab my boarding pass and ID and head toward the gate. The line moves at snail speed.
It amplifies the crushing sensation of my heart being squeezed in a vise. For some reason, the closer I get to the tunnel, the more Decker fades from my life. I just want to get home and pretend none of this ever happened, but how do I let go of the cocky suit who turned my world upside down?
I move up in line behind the woman with the screaming baby and hope he doesn’t cry the whole flight. I sound terrible, but my head can’t take it. The worst headache of my life approaches at warp speed.
Then, I hear it. It’s faint at first, and I barely make it out.
“Tate!”
It comes from far off in the distance, and I wonder if I’m imagining things.
Stop watching Sleepless in Seattle so much, Tate. Your life’s not a romantic comedy.
It has to be in my head. I hand the gate attendant my boarding pass.
“Tate, wait!”
I freeze and grip the boarding pass so hard it creases in half. The attendant tries to take it, but I squeeze it harder. My body freezes, locked in time. It’s not my imagination. I heard someone shout my name.
“TATE!” The voice booms and people stare and whisper.
I pull myself from a catatonic state and whip my head around.
My heart leaps in my chest, and pure happiness courses through my veins.
It’s him.
He came after me.
Decker.
He sprints toward me—faster than I’ve ever seen any man run—nothing but focus and determination on his face. When he’s about fifty feet away he smashes into another man. There’s a tangle of limbs and suitcases. It doesn’t stop him. He springs to his feet and continues toward me, not bothering to turn and offer an apology.
“Don’t you dare get on that damn plane!” He screams the words, but he’s panting, and they come out half jumbled.
He gets to the counter and snatches the ticket and shreds it up in front of us.
This can’t be real. It’s an out-of-body experience. I can’t do anything but shake my head. “Wh-what are you doing here?” I know what he’s doing here, but I want to hear him say it. I want him to work for it. And part of me knows this can’t happen, no matter how bad I want him. Weston gave me strict orders and I can’t lose my job.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
I reach out and grab his forearm. “Look, Decker, I appreciate you coming. It means the world to me, but we have to lay low for a few months until this is worked out. Weston will have my ass if I’m not on this plane.” I can’t fight back the emotions rushing through my body and I choke up as I say the words. A tear slides down my cheek. I quickly swipe it away hoping Decker doesn’t notice. I’m crying. I don’t cry. Not where anyone can see, anyway.
“You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
“I have to go, Decker. Please. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
He shakes his head and grips me by the shoulders. “You’re not listening. I talked to Weston. You’re staying.”
Before I can respond, Decker sweeps me up into his arms, bridal-style, forcing my arms around his neck.
For some reason, I can’t process what he says, but I’ll be damned if I ever let him put me down now that I’m in his arms. “What’d you do? Did you get me fired?” My brain isn’t firing on all cylinders. My head will explode if I don’t get the full story shortly.
Cheering people flank us on both sides. Decker growls his words as he carries me through the airport like a madman. “Stop thinking the worst for five minutes in your life. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“What happened?”
“I told Weston, well…”
“Spit it out, Collins.”
He stops in the middle of the concourse and his eyes lock onto mine. It’s the most serious I’ve ever seen him look. “I said if you didn’t stay the merger was off.”
The hackles on the back of my neck rise. “Are you fucking insane? He’s going to kill me. Definitely fire me. And you won’t be able to hire me if I stay, because he’ll own the firm.”
Decker laughs. The bastard laughs at me. I want to punch his face.
“You really think Weston is that big of an asshole?”
I raise my brows at him. Did he just ask that? “I thought you two were best friends for fuck’s sake.” Has he forgotten who we’re talking about? Weston is a calculating, hard-nosed bastard when it comes to business.
Decker grins. “Fuck, he cracks the whip on you guys in Dallas, doesn’t he?”
“Umm, yes, he does.”
Decker plants a kiss on my forehead, then leans back. “Listen, Weston’s a good guy. He might run a tight ship, but he’s not heartless. He smiled when I left. Told me not to come back without you.”
“You’re bullshitting me.”
“I wouldn’t do that. Not about this. He knows I love you, Tate.”
I gulp. “You love me?”
I glance around and notice a crowd around us, mostly women clutching their chests.
I stare at Decker for a few moments, our eyes locked. His gaze is nothing but heat, intensity, and adoration. He’s telling the truth.
“I should’ve told you before. I’ve loved you for a while, Tate Reynolds.”
My heart might burst out of my chest. I had a feeling he did, but something about him saying the words sends a torrent of emotions crashing into me. Tears stream down my cheeks and I can’t do anything but nod and nuzzle into his shoulder. “I love you too.”
His arms tighten around me, then he pulls me up so we’re face to face. He kisses me long and hard, with an urgency that says he’ll never let go.
I pull back and grin. “Are you really carrying me like this through the airport?”
“Goddamn right I am, all the way to the car.” Decker smirks.
God, I missed him so much, and I was only gone for an hour or two. It seems silly, like a teenage crush, but that’s what it feels like. I think part of it was the thought I was leaving for good and had no idea if we’d ever be together again.
Not now, though. He’s all mine, and I’m all his.
I curl up into his neck and enjoy the moment. “Just don’t ever let go.”
“Never, sweetheart.” He kisses me once more, then carries me through the exit.
Decker
I get Tate into my car and can’t stop smiling. She has no clue how happy she makes me. From the moment I met her, I knew there was something about her, but I never dreamed she’d fit into my life so perfectly. She’s what I’ve missed all these years. Now that I have her, I’ll make every second count. I’m never letting her go again.
“Are we crazy?” She looks over at me. Her honey-brown eyes shimmer.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I step on the gas. I can’t get her home fast enough. I want her to move in. I know it’s insane, but it feels right, and she needs a place to stay anyway. I don’t want to scare her off, so I bottle the thought up for now, but I’ll ask her soon. She can’t live in a hotel forever and she’s at my place most nights anyway.
She glances over to me. “How’d you get to me anyway?”
Her question takes me by surprise. “What?”
“How’d you get through security? They don’t just let you waltz up to the gate.”
“I bought a ticket.”
Tate straightens up. “You what?”
“Well, if you left, I was going to have to follow you to Dallas.”
The corners of her mouth curl up into a huge smile. She shakes her head at me.
“I have something on my face?”
“How could you come after me? You have Jenny and work.”
“Didn’t I tell you I’m in love with you back at the airport?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s something you need to know.”
“What’s that?”
“When I love someone, I go to the end of the earth for them. I already made plans for Molly to stay with Jenny, and I would’ve handled my management duties remotely. Nothing in this fucking world will keep me from you.”
Tate leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek. Then, she slides around to my ear and whispers, “I love you too, Decker Collins.” She pauses, and I feel her smile against my cheek. “And if it wasn’t so dangerous, I’d suck your dick to show my appreciation.” She flops back in her seat, clearly satisfied with herself.
“Fuck, woman.” Her words leave me with a raging hard-on. I damn near pull over to the side of the road to remedy the situation.
I finally pull up my driveway and hope like hell Weston has left. I have plans for Tate. I’m going to make her scream my name on a loop. I exit the driver’s side and move around to open her door.
“Such a gentleman.” She grins her ass off, knowing what’s in store.
We walk through the kitchen hand in hand. There’s still a mess from breakfast this morning, but it can wait. Fucking Tate to the point of multiple orgasms can’t. I want her in every way imaginable. I want her trembling beneath me.
I walk her toward the bedroom, removing her clothes along the way, leaving them behind like breadcrumbs.
Our lips connect. Her tongue flicks inside my mouth and dances with mine. I taste the coffee on her lips as I lick her mouth and neck.
I place my palms on her cheeks and our foreheads meet. “You’ll never regret being with me.”
“Ditto.” Her breath fans over my lips.
Her hands cradle my neck as we do nothing but kiss. I lay her down on the bed. Her fingers tug on the hem of my shirt, lifting the white cotton over my head. I breathe Tate in. She smells like cinnamon and vanilla.
“God, I love you.”
“I love you too, Decker.”
I’ll never get tired of hearing her say those words to me. Her breath hitches when I jerk her bra down and latch onto her nipple with my mouth. I take my time rolling the other between my fingers, teasing her. I repeat the motion, biting at her playfully, loving the sight of my gentle teeth marks engraved on her body.
Her slender fingers stroke through my hair. I see in her eyes how much she loves me as our bodies glide against one another. She skims her fingernails down my back, scratching lightly. She undoes my pants and shoves them down my legs with her feet until they tangle around my ankles.
I kick out of them and pepper kisses down her torso, rolling my tongue along the dip of her bellybutton. Another giggle escapes her lips and she twitches. I file away the ticklish spot for future torture. Gripping her panties, I jerk them to her feet and kiss her inner thigh, teasing her where she wants me most.
I smell her arousal and my cock grows harder. Looking at her folds, I can tell she’s wet for me. I shimmy the black lace from her feet and toss it over my shoulder.
I roll over on my back, point to my face, and say, “Your pussy on my mouth, now.”
There’s no hesitation. Tate goes after what she wants, and I love that about her. Moving up the bed, she straddles my face in a reverse cowgirl position. I grip her hips and lower her inches from my mouth, then exhale my warm breath across her clit.
Goosebumps pebble over her ass and thighs and she shudders.
“You want to fuck my face, Tate?”
“God, Decker.”
“Tell me you want my mouth on this pussy.”
“Please,” she moans.
I lick her slow, from clit to asshole, then pull my face back down away from her. She instinctively tries to shove her pussy against my lips, but I grip her ass and hold her away.
“Please, Decker? I’m so close.” Her words trail away on a gasp.
That’s what I like to hear. Her begging for my tongue. “Tell me who this pussy belongs to.”
“It’s yours, fu—”
I lick her again, just to interrupt her sentence.
She lets out a frustrated groan and says, “It’s so yours. Trust me.”
“Goddamn right it is.” I shove her onto my mouth so hard it probably leaves a bruise.
She calls out my name as I lick, suck, and nibble.
Tate rocks forward, rolling her hips, riding my tongue and fingers, moaning the entire time.
Her hand wraps around my cock and she slides it up and down. Her tongue dances around my crown as she brushes a thumb over the head.
I groan against her pussy when she wraps her lips around the tip of my dick. She bobs up and down, taking me as far in her throat as possible. The woman is the yin to my yang, her body molding perfectly to mine. We work together like a well-oiled machine. Before long, my cock pistons in and out of her mouth as I thrust up into her.
At the same time, I take two fingers deep in her pussy, pleasuring her g-spot as my tongue flicks over her clit. I don’t need her to tell me she’s close, I feel the energy radiating through her body.
Trembling over my mouth, she’s about to lose it. I wrap my hands around her tiny waist and shove h
er against my face. My cock slides from her lips and she cries out. Every muscle in her body tenses at once. Her thighs threaten to crush my head as they squeeze together hard enough to crack a walnut. Her orgasm ripples through her body, coating my face with her wetness. I shove her down to the bed and slide out from beneath her. “Keep that fucking ass in the air and your face in the sheets.”
Tate complies, gripping the sheets in her hands as she anticipates what’s coming next. With one hand on her shoulder and one fisting my cock, I shove into her from behind. Her hot pussy cinches around me and nothing but pure ecstasy courses through my body. A moan tears from deep in her throat and she makes some pleas to the deity. Over and over again I slide in and out of her with deep punishing strokes.
Goddamn, I missed this.
Her ass claps against my thighs and the sounds reverberate through the room. Fuck, her pussy molds to my dick like it was created just for me. I’d planned on fucking her a lot longer, in every position imaginable, but now—watching her petite hourglass body rocking into me, the curls of her hair dancing across her back—I’m not sure how long I’ll last.
Just when I think I can hold out a few seconds longer, her small hand reaches between her legs and she cradles my balls. The second she massages them and says, “That’s it. Fuck your pussy, Decker,” the orgasm I’d been holding rushes up my shaft.
“Fuck, Tate…” My words trail off and my whole body stiffens. I hold back as long as I can, then grab both her hips and yank her as hard as I can back into me.
I want to be buried as deep inside Tate as humanly possible, joined together as one when I explode inside her. Her frantic hands paw at the sheets and I look down as she bites into a pillow.
I groan and let loose, pumping into her sweet cunt. After a few grunts, her pussy contracts around me and she milks the last bit of come from my cock.
I slide out of her and she crawls up next to me as I pull her into a tight embrace, kissing her on the temple. I push a few sweaty strands of hair from her cheek. “Glad I caught you in time.”
“Me too.” Her arms squeeze tight around my middle, her head resting on my chest. She nuzzles into me and I could seriously lie here like this for the rest of my life.