Seducing the Runaway Bride (The Wrights Book 1)

by McKenna Rogue

  “Yes, I have an appointment with Ms. Jones at ten?”

  “CWLB Real Estate Holdings, right? May I have your name?”

  “Charles Wright.” I hadn’t made the appointment in my personal name, worried that if Aubrey reviewed her clients for the day, she would’ve known. I just hoped she hadn’t paid so much attention to our business name to realize our holding company bore the same initials.

  “If you’ll have a seat, I’ll let Ms. Jones know you’re here. Can I offer you a drink? Coffee, water, or tea, perhaps?”

  My stomach was in knots, and I hadn’t eaten a full meal since lunch the day before. I half-wanted to jokingly ask if she had any whiskey, but I didn’t figure that would go over well. “I’m fine for now. Thanks.”

  She nodded and spun in her chair to pick up the phone receiver.

  Unable to tell if she was actually calling Aubrey or if she was calling the security desk, I took a seat and waited to see what fate held in store.

  30

  Aubrey

  “Ms. Jones? There’s a…” Jennifer’s voice paused a second on my phone line. “Mr. Wright here to see you.”

  “Thank you, Jennifer. I’ll be right out.” I hung up, and my heart started racing in my chest. I hadn’t had a chance to look at my appointments yet for the day, and the only thing on my email calendar was a pop-up that said potential client. It couldn’t be Chuck, could it? That was crazy. He was in Aspen. With his new girlfriend. With Vanessa. Probably planning a June wedding of their own. With wedding cake she’d just throw up.

  Shaking my head, I quickly pulled the compact mirror out of my desk drawer and made sure my hair and makeup were still intact.

  Then I got up, straightened the sweater dress I’d bought with Caroline, and headed for the lobby.

  As I walked out of the hallway next to Jennifer’s desk, I had to stop and blink a couple times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

  “You might want to do your consult out here. I don’t know who this guy is, but why would he bring flowers to an architecture consultation?” Jennifer’s whispered voice drew me away from Chuck’s profile, and I swallowed hard, trying to remember how to breathe.

  “Thanks, Jennifer. I got this.” I took a few steps forward, my high-heeled boots clacking on the tile floor. As I approached, I coughed slightly and said, “Mr. Wright? If you’ll follow me.”

  Chuck stood and picked up the bouquet of gardenias next to him. “Ms. Jones, I presume?” He smiled and winked at me as I gestured to the hallway that led to my office.

  Each step seemed to take forever, when all I wanted to do was throw myself into his arms, professionalism be damned. I was glad he stuck with my formality in front of Jennifer. The last thing I needed was for my partners to think I was taking a personal meeting on company time.

  As soon as I closed the office door behind us, Chuck pulled me into his arms and kissed me, like he was Odysseus and he’d just returned from his years at sea.

  I pressed against him with every inch of my body I could, glad for the extra inches my heels gave me, so he didn’t have to bend as much to kiss me.

  As he pulled away, I fell against the door, panting. “What are you doing here?” I had a million questions, but I figured I’d start with the most important one.

  “I had to see you. Not talking to you was killing me, gorgeous.” He grinned and held out the flowers awkwardly. “These are for you.”

  I took them, surprised he’d brought my favorite flower even though I was fairly certain we’d never talked about it. “Your girlfriend doesn’t mind you kissing someone else like that?”

  Chuck’s brow furrowed, and his smile fell. “Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend, Aubrey. Unless we’re still pretending you don’t know who I am.”

  I shook my head. “Vanessa? I talked to her not two days ago, Chuck. If she’s not your girlfriend, what’s she doing answering your phone? Saying she’s going to be a Wright soon enough?”

  He raked his fingers through hair that had gotten a little shaggier since I last saw him, making him look a little more roguish than before. “She stole my phone. I was at a party for Liling, and Vanessa swiped it to put a bunch of completely inappropriate pictures on it. I swear, nothing’s going on between me and her. Nothing could ever go on between us because I am completely, madly, in love with someone else.”

  There was that feeling like I couldn’t breathe again. “Chuck, what are you saying?”

  He slowly lowered down onto one knee, and reached for my hand, pulling me a little closer. “Aubrey Jones, I know there’s still so much I don’t know about you, like your middle name, or what your favorite flower is. But I have barely slept. Food’s lost all its flavor. I haven’t even gone skiing or snowboarding since you flew out of my life. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I can’t stand that I never told you how I felt. I hate that I never once said that I love you, Aubrey. But I’m saying it now. I love you.”

  He swallowed hard, and I could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

  I gasped, my hand flying up to my chest where the rhodochrosite pendant he bought me was hidden, just under my dress. “Chuck, what are you doing?”

  He opened the box, revealing a round diamond with smaller accent rubies surrounding it in an almost floral shape. “What I should’ve done weeks ago. Aubrey, I have never met a woman who makes me feel the way that you do. Seeing you every day, talking to you, touching you, I know I found the woman I’m meant to spend every day of the rest of my life with.

  “I know this is crazy, and I know you have absolutely no reason to say yes, but I’m not leaving here until you agree to be my wife. I swear to you, gorgeous, if you say yes, I’m going to make you feel like the most beautiful, most loved woman to ever walk this earth.”

  My heart stopped. I was sure I must’ve died. It was the only explanation for Chuck Wright to be here, to be in my office, proposing what he was proposing. “Chuck, are you serious? You didn’t talk to me for weeks, and now, all of a sudden, you want to get married?”

  His outstretched hand trembled slightly. “I know I should’ve called. I tried a thousand times. But you walked away. You turned and left, like what we had meant nothing, and I could barely breathe. I lost track of the texts I wrote, just to delete them again and not send them. I…” His voice hitched, and he swallowed hard before continuing. “I was an idiot not to tell you that I loved you before you left. I know that now. But I’m here. I want to make up for all the stuff I didn’t say.”

  I reached over and pulled one of my guest chairs close, then I collapsed into it. My knees were shaking so badly, I didn’t think I could stand anymore. “Chuck… I…” I licked my lips and reached for his hand, taking the box and dropping it in my lap for the moment. I tangled my fingers with his and squeezed his hand gently. “Yes.”

  “Yes? You’ll marry me, yes?”

  I nodded slowly. “I love you too, Chuck. I’ve hated these weeks apart. My bed is stupidly empty without you in it. The only place I’ve been remotely content has been here, and that’s just because I throw myself into work so that I can forget about you for eight hours.” With tears pricking the corners of my own eyes, I reached up and pulled the pendant out of the front on my dress and smiled softly. “I wear this almost every day, even if it doesn’t go with what I have on, because I want to carry a piece of you with me. I thought you were over me. I thought…” I slipped from the chair and knelt with him, moving even closer. The ring box clattered to the floor, but neither of us cared as he wrapped his arms around me again. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

  “There’s nowhere else I belong, gorgeous.” He reached down to pick up the box and slipped the ring out of it. “If we’re going to make this official, I suppose this needs a new home. Hopefully it’ll go with everything a little better than the necklace does.” Chuck slid it onto my left hand, and then he kissed my knuckles right above it. “If you don’
t like it, we can absolutely take it back, find something you like more. I just—”

  I kissed him hard, silencing him as my tongue slid into his mouth. “It’s perfect, Chuck.”

  He grinned and wiped the tears from his eyes. “We’re really doing this?”

  “We damn well better be.” I smiled widely and snuggled into his embrace.

  “What do you say we get out of here? Celebrate?”

  “I have to work, Chuck. Thanks to you, I’m missing out on a potential client meeting.” I winked at him. “Why on earth did you make an appointment with my firm, anyway?”

  He got up, and then sat on the chair in the middle of my office before he pulled me into his lap. “I wasn’t sure you’d see me any other way. I guess maybe I should’ve worn a business suit though. I didn’t realize this was such a fancy place.” He fingered one of my pink curls. “Although, maybe it’s edgier than I thought. I like it. My little sister would fucking love it though.”

  “You look perfect.” I ran my hand over his white t-shirt and grinned. “Jennifer’s got a stick up her ass about everyone’s fashion. I promise, she would’ve judged you even if you were in a three-piece suit. And believe me, she hates the pink hair. Which is why I curl it most days.”

  He laughed and kissed my cheek. “I could give her something to really talk about, if you insist on staying here the rest of the day. Because I haven’t had you in my arms in weeks, and we have far too many clothes on.”

  I bit my lip. “Give me ten minutes. I’ve got my car in a garage a few blocks from here.”

  “I’ve got a hotel room.”

  I laughed and kissed him again—a light, fleeting kiss. I wanted so much more, I wanted him to devour me with his kisses. But I could already feel the strain we were causing on the front of his jeans. “You should check out of it. Come home with me. How much longer are you here?”

  “I bought a one-way ticket. I wasn’t entirely sure if you’d even see me, and I didn’t know how long it would take for you to agree to be my wife. If I’d known it was going to be this easy…” He trailed off, and then the corners of his mouth raised. “I just absolutely have to be back before April.”

  I grinned and kissed his cheek. “Well, I don’t know if I can guarantee that.”

  Chuck squeezed me tightly, holding me against his chest. God, how I’d missed these arms. “If you want your first act as soon-to-be daughter-in-law to be pissing off my mother by making me miss Jonah’s birthday, that is your prerogative. I’ll let you explain to her why I can’t be there.”

  I leaned my head on his shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in everything about Chuck that I’d missed while we were apart. “Okay, I need to get up. I need to check with Jennifer, find out if I have any other appointments this afternoon that I absolutely have to take, and let my partners know I’m leaving. Then, I’m all yours.”

  He slapped my ass as I got up.

  “Hey, how did you know I love gardenias?” I picked up the bouquet and smiled. “I never told you, did I?”

  Chuck blushed. “Honestly, I walked up and down the aisles of the florist shop for like, twenty minutes, and I just ended up picking up my mom’s favorites. Does that make them less special?”

  I looked down at the blossoms and smiled softly. “They’re beautiful. And now I know that if I want to make a good impression on your mother, gardenias are the way to go.”

  “That, or a good chardonnay.” He grinned. “So, ten minutes, huh? And then I get you all to myself?”

  “At least until tonight. I have dinner plans with my best friend.”

  “Mindi? Really?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “I haven’t talked to her since Aspen. She’s engaged to Greg. No, I’m meeting up with Caroline.” I smirked. “I haven’t told you about Caroline, have I? You should come to dinner with us.”

  Chuck got up and wrapped his arms around me again. “Aubrey, I don’t ever want to let you go again. So, if that means I have to face the firing squad of meeting your best friend, then so be it.”

  I kissed his cheek and pulled away. “It’ll be good. Caroline’s the one who should’ve been my maid of honor in the first place. I think you’ll love her.”

  Chuck grinned. “Gorgeous, anyone you count as a best friend will be important to me too.” He grabbed my ass and pulled me in again. “Hurry up. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten to eat you out. And way too long since I’ve fucked you hard.”

  I groaned and licked my lips. “Okay. I’ll be back soon.”

  I quickly cleared the rest of my day and then we picked up my car. Chuck’s hotel was closer than my house, and I wanted Chuck.

  The moment the door closed, his hands were on me again. He pressed me up against the door and groped my ass, holding me against him as we kissed hungrily.

  Chuck picked me up and carried me across the room to the king-sized bed, only to drop me into the middle of it. He pulled away and licked his lips. “I have missed this so much. I’ve missed you, gorgeous.”

  I scooted back toward the pillows and started pulling my dress up. “Well, then why don’t you come make up for lost time? I believe you promised to fuck me hard?”

  “And eat you out.” He pulled off his t-shirt, and his hands went to the fly of his jeans. “I still can’t believe you said yes.”

  I looked down at the delicate ring on my finger, a symbol that meant more to me after just a week of time together than all the time I’d spent with Greg, and I smiled softly. “I guess when you know it’s right, the timing doesn’t matter. I love you, Chuck. More than I’ve ever loved anyone. If that makes this crazy, or me crazy, then it’s a title I proudly wear.”

  He pulled off his jeans, but left the dark blue boxer briefs in place, and climbed onto the bed with me. “I know there’s still a lot we have to figure out. And so much I still need to learn about you. About your life here. But I don’t ever want to feel like I did these past few weeks again. I want to know that you’re mine, and mine alone. Just as I hope you know that I don’t want anyone else. I couldn’t. You’re the woman for me, Aubrey Jones. Even if you hadn’t said yes, even if you were with someone else, or you’d gone back to that asshole, I would still know it in my heart, that I belong to you. Completely.”

  A lump of emotion formed in my throat. I rolled over until I was straddling him, and kissed him hungrily, letting my lips say what I couldn’t find the words to.

  Slowly, Chuck stripped me of my clothing, his hands touching and sliding over every inch of newly exposed skin, until the only thing between us were his boxers and my lacy thong. His hard, thick length was so close, just out of reach, and without a word, I broke our kiss to slip him free. I didn’t even bother to remove the undergarments; I just shoved my thong aside and slid down his cock with a groan.

  Chuck thrust up to meet me, his large hands pulling my hips down to his, and he grunted as he bottomed out inside me. “God, Aubrey, I’ve missed this.”

  I rocked over him, my hands pressed to his chest, as I leaned down and kissed him again. “You don’t have to miss it ever again.”

  He rolled us, and then took both my hands in his as he thrust into me over and over. We were pressed together almost completely, from pelvis to chest, and each thrust of his thick cock pushed me closer to climax. Chuck’s eyes were locked on mine any time his lips weren’t devouring my own, and I felt like I could get lost in him, in this moment, forever.

  As his thrusts grew harder and faster, I could tell he was getting close. I rocked my hips harder against his, wanting my own release as badly as I wanted his. I was completely possessed by Chuck Wright—his, completely—and when I came, I felt him let go too, our bodies both lost in orgasm together.

  We spent the afternoon naked and in each other’s arms. Even though it had been three weeks, Chuck’s arms felt like I’d never left them. He kissed me and touched me nonstop, and by the time I was scheduled to meet Caroline, I hardly wanted to get dressed. Or let him put on clothes.

 
“Care, there’s a change in plans for dinner tonight. Is that okay?”

  “What’s the change?” She sounded concerned.

  I giggled as Chuck kissed along my breasts. “Um, I want to bring another person with me.”

  “Whoever’s making you laugh? Aubrey, are you with a man right now?”

  I pulled away from Chuck and found my clothes. “Actually…”

  “Aubrey Jones, you hussy! It’s a Tuesday afternoon.” She faked a gasp, and then followed it up with a laugh. “So, are you going to tell me who it is? Is he who you want to bring to dinner?”

  “Yeah. Is that okay? I will totally leave him here if you want just girl time.”

  “I haven’t heard you sound like this in a long time. Bring him. I want to know who makes you this happy.”

  “Okay. See you at six, right?” I tugged on my panties and stuck out my tongue at Chuck, who was still in bed, completely naked.

  “Yep. But I’ll forgive you if you’re late because you’re too busy with a hot man between your thighs.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Chuck as he slowly stroked his semi-hard cock, and then turned away, looking for my sweater dress. “I think I can manage to be on time. But I can’t promise I won’t want to call it an early night.” I wiggled my butt in Chuck’s general direction, and then gasped as I felt his fingers slide over my hips and his hard cock pressed against my ass. “Oh, I wanted to ask… Well, really, I should’ve asked last time too, but will you be my maid of honor? I have no idea of any plans at all yet, but I should’ve asked you to be up there with me. And I want you to be this time. The real time.”

  Caroline gasped, and then practically shrieked. I had to pull the phone away, which was good anyway because Chuck’s hand had slipped under my panties and his fingers were currently sliding through my wet folds.

  “Aubrey Briana Jones, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Caroline caught her breath and returned to a decibel that humans could understand.

  “I’ll tell you all about it at dinner. Just, think it over. And say yes.” I hung up the phone before Caroline could say anything else, or before she could realize that Chuck’s cock had replaced his fingers in my pussy.