Strictly Business (Mixing Business With Pleasure Series Book 1)

by Ace Gray

  “So why did he swear off relationships?”

  A shadow creased her lovely features. “That’s my fault, I’m afraid.”

  “I don’t believe that for one moment.” The words were out with a chuckle before I had a chance to check myself.

  “You are too sweet, but I’m afraid Nicholas’ stepfather and I haven’t always had a storybook romance. Nicholas only chooses to see one side of the story, and it’s the ugly side. My marriage hasn’t been easy, but then again, what marriage is?” Her horribly sad smile pulled back into place.

  Without warning, a tingling sensation built deep in my belly and the temperature in the room plummeted. Julia’s sad smile fell and her face went completely blank. Not even a full breath had passed since her voice rang through the dinning room but everything had shifted. Bryant cleared his throat behind me.

  “I told you I didn’t want you mixed up with my stepfather and stepbrother.” I cringed and the room went even frostier if possible. “I don’t remember being vague or stuttering, but maybe I did. I remember telling you it was none of your goddamned business!”

  I flinched, taken aback for a moment. But then my temper welled. I wanted to scream and shout, maybe even slap him. But I couldn’t bring myself to do any of it in front of Julia. Her fallen face surprised me. No shock, nor anger—just disappointment—written plain for both of us to see. I wasn’t even aware my teeth were digging into my lip until I broke flesh. My chair chattered ever so slightly when I shoved back from the table.

  “Julia, it was lovely to meet you.”

  I found a thin smile for her and reached out my hand. I didn’t even turn in Bryant’s direction before striding purposefully towards the stairs. I took them two at a time, just wanting my things and to get the hell out of that apartment.

  I don’t fucking need him like this.

  He didn’t come to find me while I shoved things with increasing violence into my bags. He wasn’t waiting on the stairs for me, or even in the living room when I reappeared. I was going to have a straight shot out of the penthouse, and for that I was grateful. I was clipping down the stairs, set to storm out, when angry voices floated upward and captured my attention. I froze.

  “It doesn’t matter, Nicholas.” There was a venom in Julia’s voice I hadn’t expected from such a sweet, polished woman. “If you love someone, you make concessions. You do not react in anger. You do not scream and shout. She is not some business associate you can bully.”

  “You know how I feel about saying I love you.” Nick was equally angry. “Nor do I think you have any sort of expertise regarding a functional relationship. Tell me, does Francis still react in anger? Does he still scream and shout, among other things?”

  “It’s obvious you love her, and I raised you to treat a women better than this. I know things with Francis have been rough…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Fuck Francis.”

  “Nicholas Bryant,” she warned in a tone that made my hair stand on end. “Francis may be many things, but he kept us afloat and in this scene for quite some time. He, despite his faults, is the reason you’ve been afforded so many opportunities.” She sighed a sad sigh that didn’t fit with the shouting of the sentence

  “That’s a lie. I worked for everything I have. I built this empire from scratch and on my own, financing and all. Never once did I trade on the Winthrop name. Maybe the Bryant name once or twice, but never his.”

  “That’s just the thing. People knew regardless, and it opened doors. Those doors are why I stayed. Why I’m glad I stayed.”

  “No.”

  The utter agony in his voice said more than words could. Everything in the room shifted; even clutching the railing in the next room, I felt it.

  Nick’s voice broke. “I have nothing in this world because of Francis. Nothing except a fucked up view of how to treat someone like Kate.”

  The voices stopped and footsteps echoed through the room. My mind was too preoccupied to kick into gear. I should have been running or hiding; surely he’d be pissed I’d overheard that shouting match. Nick rounded the corner before I had a chance to move. For a fleeting second, I saw something broken and tortured on his face and it pulled on my heartstrings.

  Thank God I didn’t leave.

  “You’re still here?” His voice was soft and relieved; he was trying to find strength and failing miserably.

  “Yeah, I guess I am.” The fight had faded from my voice, too.

  “But you’re leaving?”

  He nodded toward the bag in my hand. The other one was still clutching, white knuckles and all, to the banister.

  “Only if you want me to go.”

  His head snapped up, gray clearing from his eyes ever so slightly, blue shining a tiny bit more.

  “Please, don’t.”

  I nodded and turned back toward the bedroom. A moment to unpack would give them time to clear the air. But silently Nick closed the distance between us. He was behind me with his hand around my wrist in a moment; his fingers slid down to take my bag from me.

  “Romana will take care of this.”

  He pressed his cheek to my head, his chest flush against my back. His breath was slowing, warm against my ear.

  “I’m sorry I shouted at you,” Nick whispered.

  “Are you sorry for anything else?”

  I couldn’t help it; the words just flew out of my mouth. The list was getting really long this morning and if that was the only thing…

  “What else would I apologize for?”

  His free hand snaked up along my body, around my waist, and squeezed at my hip bone.

  “For swearing at me, for shutting me out, for refusing to share anything with me, for the epic overreaction to my run?”

  “I’m sorry for swearing at you.” His smirk turned up against my ear before he took a weary breath. “But I didn’t overreact this morning. Ally is a massive problem. I didn’t shut you out, I’m pulling you in far too deep as it is. And having story time to discuss Francis, or my God-awful stepbrother, Christopher, is a deal breaker for me. I won’t do it.”

  There was a finality there that scared me. I didn’t doubt that if I pushed further he’d let me walk out the door. The things I’d overheard were enough to placate me. For now.

  “Fine,” I huffed out of habit. “Apology accepted.”

  “My mother is downstairs waiting for us. Again. Please come down and let’s have some semblance of a normal, family breakfast.”

  I nodded and let him take my hand as we walked down the stairs. He dropped my bag at the bottom and pulled me into the dining room. Julia was sitting there, sipping coffee and reading the paper, as if nothing had happened. She looked up when she heard us and flashed a winning smile.

  “You two made the papers again. Absolutely delightful.”

  Before the blowout, or whatever, had transpired between her and Nick, I’d been taken with this charming woman. Now, I was less sure. She’d scolded her child and defended her husband, neither of which I could blame her for, but my natural compulsion was to protect Nick and erase his pain. I couldn’t get over that tortured refusal and the broken face I’d seen at the base of the stairs.

  Gracefully, Julia restarted the conversation. We talked about the weekend news, Nick’s business, my business, and the changing weather until Romana laid an impressive spread of food in front of us. By the end of it she won me back by being an exceptional conversationalist and a piece of Nick no one else got to see.

  Somewhere along the line, Nick rested his hand on my thigh and I flushed at his touch, reminded of our earlier kiss and his promise.

  “Well, I can tell when I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Julia said with a shy smile.

  Is the heat that obvious between us?

  “I did have something important to speak to you about though, Nicholas.”

  “I’ll excuse myself. Julia…”

  “Nonsense,” Nick interrupted. “Mother, what is it?” His steely gaze stayed fixed on me as his vo
ice went edgy.

  “It’s about your sister.”

  He sharply snapped his head toward Julia and his hand fell from my leg. The temperature dropped 20 degrees.

  Julia looked away from his face and out toward the windows. “Nothing serious, but I’d like your help.”

  “Of course. What’s going on?” He thawed.

  “Well, apparently she and Frederico didn’t last.”

  Julia rolled her eyes to match Bryant’s head shake. “They had a blowout fight with shouting, clothes thrown in the street, mirrors smashed… Someone was held by the Polizi. I couldn’t understand everything she said, the whole conversation was garbled. I guess he tried to flush her cell phone down the toilet. I don’t know.”

  Her slight hand fluttered to her forehead and she rubbed her temples. “She was adamant she would only come back from Italy if she never had to go to the Connecticut house again. I wanted her home, so I said I’d give her the city apartment.”

  “I thought that you were remodeling the city apartment?”

  “I am. And that’s where you come in. Perhaps one of your many establishments can provide a hotel suite until it’s finished?”

  “The loss I will sustain for one of the upper end suites isn’t worth it.”

  “Nicholas, she’s your sister.”

  “There are other places she can stay,” he said simply.

  “Of course. How about an apartment, temporarily, in one of your buildings?”

  “Believe it or not, I’m at 100% capacity for rental properties.”

  “Lend her one of your spare rooms, then.”

  Julia smiled brilliantly. It was obvious that was what she’d wanted from the beginning—she’d just needed him to agree on his own terms. It was perfectly maneuvered and I was absolutely delighted to see Nicholas Bryant played like a fiddle.

  “Mom, I thought this was going to be something simple. You’re asking me to let Aribella move in? She is more than a handful.”

  He’s whining!

  “I know. But I want her home, and I want her safe. I also refuse to force her into that house. I’m sure you can understand.”

  At that he pursed his lips and strain crept back into his eyes as he nodded.

  “Good.”

  She stood and rounded the table, stopping only to squeeze his shoulder. After a deep breath, she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

  “She’ll be here tomorrow at two.”

  She quickly straightened and scampered over to grip me tightly.

  “I adore you. Simply adore you. Be patient with my son.”

  I laughed loudly at her escape tactic. I hugged her back then let her dart out of the room before Nick had a chance to get worked up again.

  26.

  Nick’s brow crinkled, still processing all the information his mother had thrown at him. The morning was such a whirlwind, and he was so obviously rattled, I was compelled to apologize.

  “I’m sorry I left this morning, and I’m sorry we fought.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Ally sooner.”

  His eyes moved to meet mine. They were a wild storm that betrayed the torrent of emotion behind them.

  “I’m also sorry about being a ridiculous drunk last night.”

  Something clicked behind his intense eyes. “Seems like I have multiple things to punish you for.” He licked his lips and my pulse quickened.

  I nodded and a, “Yes,” barely escaped my lips.

  “Come with me.”

  He stood and reached out his hand; I grabbed it and he pulled hard, almost knocking me off balance as he pulled me to his chest. We started kissing and stumbling backwards toward the elevator. He peeled my shirt off before we even got out of the dinning room. My bra followed right before he pressed me up against the cool steel paneling inside the elevator.

  When our jerky, tangled steps brought us to the bedroom he pressed me against the doorframe. The metal was shockingly cold against my back. He took my gasping lips roughly like he’d done earlier this morning. I relished the taste of him and moaned when he dropped to his knees. He made quick work of removing my capris; I stepped out and Nick chucked them aside. To my surprise he grabbed me by my thigh and pushed me into the bedroom.

  My knees were having a hard time and I stumbled slightly. I regained my balance, standing between him and the bed in nothing but a soft, seamless thong. He stood and removed his shirt before casually leaning against the doorframe.

  Gulp!

  He wasn’t wearing underwear under those jeans. The whisper of hair above the button had blood racing through my veins and me gnawing on my cheek again. I was getting wetter each moment he let pass. I tried to stand still while his eyes devoured me, but I had to shift and press my thighs together.

  Finally, he stepped away from the frame and walked toward me. He circled me like a predator; his body seemed more animalistic than ever before.

  “Don’t disobey me again. We’ll find ourselves right back here.”

  “Yes sir,” I breathed.

  “Oh, I like that, Sweets.”

  He stopped in front of me and brought one finger to my chin and lifted it. He leaned in and let his lips come tantalizingly close to mine. I arched my neck and stood on my tiptoes to push mine to his. He pulled back ever so slightly.

  “If I like everything else you do, you’ll earn that kiss.”

  He was looking for an answer so I murmured, “Yes sir,” again. He growled with approval and pressed me back to the bed. I slowly crawled to center.

  “Hands over head.”

  I did as I was told, stretching my arms toward the headboard. He reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out the long, black satin ribbon.

  MMMmmm.

  His eyes flashed at the sound as he crawled onto the bed and straddled my chest. The denim of his jeans rubbed against my nipples and I groaned. He smiled a wicked smile at my tortured noises. He bound my wrists together tightly and laced the tail up through the headboard.

  Once it was tight, he yanked me down the bed so my arms were completely straight and ached the tiniest bit. I watched him move back to the side drawer and grab silver weighted balls.

  Oh.

  I’d played with those before. On their own they were nothing special, but the clench in my belly assured me Bryant would use them far more effectively. A moan bubbled out of my throat and he wasn’t even touching me.

  From the side of the bed Nick arched an eyebrow before climbing on. His fingers pressed into my thighs and pulled my legs open wide enough to shuffle between my knees. He sat back on his heels, his hand still wrapped around my thighs.

  “This is my favorite view in the entire city.”

  He was facing away from the skyline; I could see the MetLife tower over his shoulder. I smiled as pink blush tinged my cheeks. Holding my gaze, he slid my thong to the side. My breath caught when Nick pressed one ball against me. The cold had me wiggling away, but he used his free hand to pin my hips down. He kept the ball still and the heat of my arousal slowly warmed the metal.

  I tried to buck away again when he slid the ball around in the slickness of my slit. He grunted and pressed me harder into place. He stilled the ball and shifted his eyes down to watch as he pushed it between my lips so it disappeared inside me. I groaned and arched off the bed; this time he let me while another crooked smile flashed across his face. He pushed the second ball in quickly and smoothed my underwear back into place.

  My chest heaved as I sat there, trying not to fidget. Every time I twitched the balls would clank against each other. It was a small, subtle clink but I was so damned turned on it sent warm little waves out from my center. He watched me for a while, shifting between the flush of my face and the growing wetness between my legs. My thong had to be soaked.

  Finally, he lunged at me, his hands digging into my hips as he flipped me onto my front. The yank and sting on my shoulders reminded me how tightly I was tied to the headboard. Nick shoved my knees up under me and I yelped b
etween unrelenting, ragged breaths. The small little ball I was folded into made breathing harder and put relentless pressure on the balls inside me. He caressed my ass, even nipped it. I was whimpering when he leaned lower and licked arousal that’d dripped from my sex. At that I cried out.

  His hands returned to rub my backside before skating down my thighs. I shivered as he moved to the small of my back and slid his hands up my ribs then tenderly across my shoulders. His hands slipped right off my body as the denim of his jeans shuffled against the sheets. He was going to leave me there, waiting.

  If he left me for an eternity like last time, I was sure I’d pass out from the need constricting my throat. An involuntary tremor rolled across my body. It shook the balls gently, and I couldn’t help the goosebumps that followed.

  “Excited?”

  His throaty, deep chuckle mingled with his words. His voice came from behind me, where he’d be able to see every single twitch, including the most intimate ones.

  “You know you’re being punished, right?”

  “Yes.”

  I was breathing too hard to add a “Sir,” yet he still hummed his approval. I felt him climb back onto the bed and kneel beside me.

  Wait. Behind me—he should be behind me.

  He started making circles with his full open hand.

  “Do you know how worried I was when you weren’t lying next to me? When you weren’t in the apartment?” He was serious, but there was a sexy, gravelly quality to his words. “I called you, Jaime, Trevor, and down to building security ten times. None of you had phones and building security could only tell me you’d left.”

  He traced the thin strap of my underwear; his hand was driving me crazy. I wanted him to lose control and take me. I tried to beg but my voice came out as a garbled moan.

  “I’m going to spank this sweet ass ten times. One for every unanswered call.”

  Spanked?

  Fuck.

  That. Is. Hot.

  Without warning, a hard smack landed squarely across my ass. I felt the sting, the numbness, and the blood run to the handprint just seconds before the sound actually registered. The balls clinked inside me, first from his swat then again when I thrashed in response. A husky sound got caught in my throat. My mind reeled as his hand landed again, swatting lower. The way he hit the balls this time made me cry out in pleasure.