“Yes, sir!” Aubrey left the office before anything could change. Now, if only she could get to them before Henry’s team did. She just hoped that he didn’t hold it against her when her proposal kicked his company’s ass. Aubrey smiled to herself and found a quiet place to make the calls.
While she waited on hold with Keith, she typed out a quick text to Henry.
Apparently, dating the competition makes people nervous around here.
It only took a moment before he responded. Aubrey quickly tapped the screen to read what he said.
I hope it doesn’t cause problems.
Aubrey didn’t have a chance to respond because the head of contracts for Keith came to the phone. They were quite happy to hear that Viola was being proactive and coming up with a marketing plan for the old games, as well as the new. They were more than happy to set up a meeting for the following morning. Aubrey sighed in relief as she hung up. Scanning through the files on the computer, Aubrey found the contact number for Hodges. She knew their games. They would be a harder sell to the public, but with some creative marketing, she was pretty confident that her sales tactic would work for them, as well.
She punched the number into the phone and once again was placed on hold. She waited for five minutes. Then another ten. Finally, the phone picked up. It was the same woman’s voice that put her on hold to begin with.
“Ms. Vincent? I am so sorry you had to wait so long, but Mr. Calhoon is busy. He is going to have to call you back.”
“Oh, that is perfectly fine. Please have him call me at his earliest convenience.” Aubrey rattled off the phone number and extension to the phone where she sat and just hoped that they did get that call.
Aubrey sat in her chair and watched the phone for an hour. She pulled out some files to work on, trying to get the numbers closer to exacts than estimates for Keith. She wanted to wow them, and everyone at Viola.
Quite a few people had walked by her, staring and whispering. Finally, someone got brave and walked straight up to her.
“So, when Viola goes crashing down, I guess you have a great back up.” She knew people would think something like that, but hearing it out loud bothered her. A lot.
“That has nothing to do with it. I am doing everything I can to help Viola.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re sleeping with Maximus. Getting his secrets then?”
“NO! Henry has nothing to do with anything work related.”
“Yeah, right,” they said then walked off laughing.
Remembering Henry’s text, she pulled out her phone. Irritation radiating off her, she typed out a reply.
No, no problems at all if you don’t count basically being called a whore.
Henry’s response was immediate.
How the hell did they come to that?
She scoffed at his naivety.
They think I’m with you as a backup for when Viola closes because you keep taking our clients.
I know that’s not why. And so do you. Does their opinion matter?
Of course not. But damn it. I do have to deal with these people.
Aubrey noticed he didn’t comment on the fact that Maximus Gaming kept taking Viola’s clients. Perhaps it was a lapse in thought but what if it was on purpose? She typed another text before he could reply.
And what about the clients? Is it on purpose? Are you trying to close Viola?
There was no response for close to five minutes. With every second that ticked by, Aubrey got more agitated. Finally, her phone pinged.
I’m not taking them from you. Maximus Gaming, a company, is doing business and offering clients what they want. Viola, a company, has been old school for far too long. They need to update their marketing to keep their clients. Nothing is on purpose to close any business down.
Aubrey thought about that a moment. He was right. Up until they had brought her in, all of the marketing had basically been the same thing for each client depending on genre. All the sports games got the same treatment, just as all the fantasy games did. Nothing was new and exciting. Until they started asking for her ideas. As Mike said, they needed someone to think outside of the box.
Sorry. It’s been a rough morning here. Still on for tonight?
Of course. I’ll see you at six.
Aubrey put her phone away and waited a bit longer for the phone to ring. When it didn’t, she took her lunch. Waiting outside the building was a handful of people with cameras and tape recorders. They screamed all kinds of questions at her. Everything from what was her name to what kind of underwear did Henry wear.
They swarmed around her, coming closer and closer. Fear encased her when they wouldn’t let her pass. Her heart pulsed until a loud voice boomed over everyone, and they backed away, allowing her room to breath.
“Aubrey, come on. Ignore their questions. Just keep walking.” Bruce stood beside her giving her enough of a shield that the media dare not approach.
“Thank you,” she squeaked. Was this how it was for Henry?
Bruce walked her to the deli then back again. He handed her a card with his number and told her to call him when she needed to leave, at least until the media circus died down. She thanked him again and went back to work.
Unfortunately, the call came when she was out. And it wasn’t good. They lost Hodges, too.
~*~
The rest of the day took a nose dive. People either avoided her like the plague or wanted to know every detail there was to know about Henry. By the time the clock struck five fifty-five, Aubrey was running for the exit. She just hoped that Henry was ready and waiting for her.
The lobby downstairs was eerily silent. The security guard that sat in the lobby with all the computers was standing with one hand on his baton and the other holding his cell phone. As Aubrey approached, she saw why. Outside their doors, a horde of photographers and news crews waited. She thought she glimpsed Henry’s town car behind them all. She sighed loudly. She would be glad when the craziness was over, and they could go back to the way it was before the stupid merger.
“Sorry about that, Nick. As soon as I leave, they probably will, too.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Ms. Vincent. Do you need me to walk you to the car?”
“You might need to. But let me make a call real quick. More than likely, Henry has his driver with him. Those camera people seem to be a bit afraid of him. He introduced himself as a driver, but by the way people scatter when he is around, I’d call him a bodyguard.”
Nick laughed as she pulled out her phone and dialed Bruce. What shocked her was after she hung up, the crowd outside went a crazy. Cameras flashed and people were shouting, and they all moved away from the doors, forming a tight huddle near Henry’s car.
A few moments later, the doors opened and Henry stepped through with Bruce. She smiled at him and shook her head.
“You didn’t have to get out.”
“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t come to the door to pick up my date? The secret’s out. No way was I letting you fend off the wolves alone.”
Aubrey kissed his cheek and turned to Nick. “If you want to deal with that insanity, we would appreciate it. If not, I don’t blame you a bit. You might start getting treated like I have all day if they think you’re helping the enemy.”
“Don’t you worry about that. Let’s go.” Nick walked forward and opened the door to the mad house. Henry grasped her hand in his and kept her tight to his side.
“Are you two an item?” one reporter called out.
“Is that a baby bump?” another yelled. That stung. Aubrey stiffened by his side before continuing to walk.
“Where did you meet? Is it a coincidence that you work for competing companies? Are you after his money, Aubrey?” The questions were flying a mile a minute. Aubrey barely had time to breathe let alone answer a single one. She kept her head up though. There was no point in hiding. Henry was walking tall, proud to have her at his side. She wouldn’t cower away because the press was intimidatin
g.
“Aubrey and I went to high school together. We reconnected recently and are a couple. Now, we will be on our way. Put a call into my firm to set up an official interview about the merger if you would like.” Henry said it all with such grace and strength. He didn’t stumble once or blink an eye. It was like he was meant for the spotlight.
She looked up into his eyes and smiled, willing him to feel the pride radiating off her. He smiled back and led them to the car. The questions didn’t stop, but they didn’t answer anymore. It took Bruce a minute to thank Nick for his help and to actually get in the car, but once their door was closed, the sounds of the crowd faded away and it was just the two of them.
In the car where they’d had mind blowing sex. Aubrey looked around then back to Henry with a devilish grin.
“They can’t see us in here.”
He just laughed. “So, with what just happened... do you still want to go to the club?”
Aubrey smiled. “This is where my contacts come in rather handy.”
Aubrey pulled out her phone and called Kevin, her bouncer buddy. A few quick words were exchanged and she had gotten them back door access and gotten anyone with a camera or microphone on the banned list for the night.
“It won’t stop them all, but it will certainly help.”
“I never thought I would be grateful for any ex of yours.”
“Not an ex. Just a buddy.”
“Still. He saw you naked. That’s enough to make me not like him.”
She just laughed and smacked his chest before cuddling up to him. The silence was relaxing, and the warmth of his arms around her felt amazing. Just before they pulled up to the back parking lot, Henry kissed the top of her head, and then began to shift around.
Aubrey sat up and looked at him. He was fidgety and seemed nervous. Just like he had that morning.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just never thought the beginning of us dating would be like this. I swear they only get this way when money becomes a huge issue and when I was put on that stupid eligible bachelor list. I promise it will go back to normal soon.”
“It’s okay. It’s part of dating the city’s most eligible bachelor, right?” She had been joking, but the look on Henry’s face told her he didn’t find it all that funny. “Look, I have gone so long failing at everything. Work, home, guys. I finally find myself in a position where everything is working. Everything is going right, and I don’t want to let some stupid bitch with a camera ruin that. I really like you, Henry. That’s not going to change because someone wants to take our picture.”
“Someone? Try thirty someone’s if I counted right back there.”
“That just means we have thirty pictures to collect tomorrow to add to a scrapbook,” She never thought she would be the one reassuring him. Henry was powerful and successful and for whatever reason, absolutely terrified she was going to bolt. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay. Let’s go in.”
The club had been busy. Aubrey and Henry got lost in the crowd and even if someone had managed to get past Kevin, they never found them. Sweat trickled down Aubrey’s body as she pulled on Henry’s hand, leading him off the dance floor and over to the bar where they ordered a couple drinks.
Henry’s hands gripped her hips and pulled her roughly to him. He trailed his mouth from her shoulder up to her ear where he nibbled and licked at her lobe. Goose bumps covered her skin, and she shivered under his touch. Reaching up, she turned his head toward hers and kissed him. She took control, teasing his lips until he opened for her, wrapping her tongue around his, and pulling on his hair until he moaned.
“I’m ready to head home, what about you?” she said in his ear after breaking their kiss.
“Absolutely.” Henry replied before pounding back the shot he ordered. Aubrey did the same, and then let him lead the way to the back of the club to leave the same way they came in.
~*~
Aubrey fumbled with her keys, trying to keep her lips on Henrys. She needed to get the damn door open but she couldn’t part with feeling him against her. Finally, he pulled away and smiled at her.
“Open the door, Aubrey.” She smiled back and turned around to open the door properly. She let Henry in, and then closed the door behind them. She held a single finger up to her lips to quiet him. She didn’t want Ben or Mackenna to come out.
Aubrey took Henry’s hand and led him to her bedroom, much like she did the first time she lead him to the dance floor in the bar. Once in her bedroom, she closed the door and pinned him to it, kissing along his chest and neck. Aubrey undid each of his shirt buttons agonizingly slowly, letting her tongue trace the opening until she dropped to her knees in front of him.
Undoing his belt, without taking her eyes off his, she licked her lips. She could feel him shaking beneath her touch and his hardness straining against his slacks. Just before she reached into his boxers to free his dick, he placed his hands on her arms.
“Aubrey, wait.” She was completely startled and a little hurt by the tone in his voice. It sounded like he didn’t want her—didn’t want her to make him feel good. Swallowing hard, she went to move, but he didn’t remove his hands, so she looked back at him.
“What is it?” she asked a tremor in her voice.
“Are you sure you want to do this? There’s still two months left of the deal.” Aubrey could see concern etched all over his face. She was almost offended that he thought she was in it for the cash, but after everything he revealed the night before, she could understand.
“Are you crazy? Of course I do. I was never going to take your money anyway. I just wanted to prove a point, but you proved yours instead. Now, can I suck your cock?”
Henry groaned then removed his hands from her arms and let his head fall back against the door. Aubrey pulled his length from his boxers and stroked the smooth skin once, twice, a third time before plunging him deep into her mouth.
Aubrey bobbed her head on him, taking him as far in as she could, and used her hands in rhythm with her mouth on the part that wouldn’t fit. After a minute, Henry pulled her off him, hunger in his eyes.
He pulled at her shirt, lifting it up and over her head in a single swoop. We walked her backwards to her bed until her knees hit the edge and toppled her onto it. Henry removed his shirt before climbing on top of her. He lavished her neck and chest with his tongue, only stopping to pull the cup of her bra down to free her nipple.
Quickly, he sucked it into his mouth, nibbling ever so slightly before licking away the sting and sucking again. One hand massaged the other breast while the other hand found its way under her skirt and played with the edge of her panties.
Aubrey moaned at his slight touch. Her body was aflame with need, begging to be touched everywhere. She pushed up on his shoulder and he sat back. Aubrey sat up and unhooked her bra and tossed it to the side before shimmying out of her skirt.
When she lay back down, Henry just kneeled before her, drinking her in. His perusal made her pussy ache. She reached down to stroke herself, but he stopped her. Instead, he dipped his own finger into her wet folds. Aubrey’s eyes closed on their own accord, needing to cut off her other senses to feel more.
When the pressure of his hands retreated, a warm wetness enveloped her. She looked down to watch him devour her, his hands kneading the flesh of her thighs. A building of pressure began in her belly and moved outward, making all of her muscles tense up until a final nibble on her clit sent her nerves into overdrive. Aubrey cried out in pleasure, her body shaking from the high. She gripped at his shoulders, clawing at him, trying anything to pull him up so he could fill her with his cock. But he wouldn’t budge. His continued ministrations of the tongue sent her body into convulsions, and just when she thought she couldn’t take another second, he plunged his fingers deep into her.
The scream that shot from her sounded inhuman. Henry pulled back, licking his lips with a smug smile on his face. Once Aubrey caught her breath, she leaned up on her elbo
ws and watched him. She scooted herself further back onto the bed, all the while Henry crawled up over her, aligning himself with her.
With his eyes locked on hers, he used one arm to prop himself up and the other to guide his length into her opening. Henry thrust forward with a strength and speed Aubrey wasn’t expecting. And it was amazing. She began lifting her hips in rhythm with his, forcing their hips together with such passion she was sure to be sore later. A good kind of sore.
Henry’s hips slowed and his lips descended on hers. His lips were hesitant, teasing almost. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes again, and she could see so much shining back at her in them. She could feel so much more than just his body doing wonderful things to hers. She couldn’t voice it, or even think the words herself, but she knew that he could see everything in her eyes that she saw in his.
Chapter Sixteen
Henry had left sometime in the middle of the night. He woke her with a soft kiss and said goodbye before slipping out. He had hoped it would have curtailed the media circus surrounding her building the next morning. He was wrong.
Ben and Mackenna were plastered to the window, peeking out of the blinds when Aubrey came out of her bedroom. Almost simultaneously, they looked at her.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” she asked, feeling herself reddening. They had to have heard her the night before. They were going to tease her over her activities, she just knew it. Neither said anything. Instead, they pulled the curtain back slightly showing the horde of reporters outside her apartment door. “How did they get in here? What happened to the security?”
Before Ben and Mackenna had a chance to ask anything, there was a knock at the door. Aubrey approached it slowly as if it were going to fly open at any moment. When she pressed her eye to the peephole, the breath she didn’t realize she was holding released and her muscles relaxed.
Quickly, she opened the door just enough to let Bruce’s muscular frame through the door. The cacophony of noise shocked her. At first the questions were directed at Bruce, which he ignored. But the moment they realized her door had opened, they switched gears and were all about her and Henry.
The Billionaire & The Barfly (Coming Home) Page 16