“Thank you for that.” I smiled, and a sigh passed across my lips.
“I’m the one that should be thanking you.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “You gave me something that you’ll never be able to give to someone else.”
“I wouldn’t—even if I could.” I opened my eyes and met his stare. “You’re everything I’ve needed. I can’t believe I even tried to fight this…”
“I fought it too, and we had our reasons, but they don’t matter now.” He shook his head.
“No.” I exhaled sharply. “They really don’t.”
“We ate pretty early, and I think what we just did burned every calorie in my body. How would you feel about room service?” He reached over and grabbed the menu that was next to the bed.
“I feel like I could eat everything on the menu…” I laughed under my breath. “I’m starving.”
“I’ll order something.” Arlo reached for the phone and started dialing.
Arlo didn’t order everything on the menu, but he got a pretty nice spread with different options. It took them almost an hour to deliver it, and I stayed in his arms the entire time. The knock on the door prompted Arlo to slide on a bathrobe and walk over to let them in. I found a smaller one in the bathroom and then walked into the main part of the hotel room, where he was already getting things set up so that we could eat.
I have a feeling that wasn’t the last orgasm either one of us will have tonight…
Chapter Twenty-One
Arlo
Phoebe made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years—both emotionally and physically. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and shield her from the entire world. Our moment belonged to us, and I didn’t care what challenges we would face in the future. There was something about her that called out to my protective side, but that wasn’t all of it—she was amazing. She deserved a life that wasn’t embroiled in the things she was forced to endure. I couldn’t change that, but I could make sure nothing like that ever happened again. She was mine, and I intended to spend every day we had together, proving that I deserved to be that one in a million. My arms were where she belonged and where I intended for her to stay.
“Wow, I might have eaten too much…” Phoebe leaned back against her chair. “I was really hungry.”
“Yeah, we’ll burn it off.” I winked at her.
“This is going to sound bad, but I’ve gotta get dressed…” She sighed and looked back towards her clothes.
“Why?” I raised my eyebrows in confusion. “Surely you’re not planning to go home tonight. You can stay here with me.”
“I have to take a trip outside.” She stood up and grabbed her purse.
“Ah…” I shook my head. “I don’t think you have to go outside for that. It’s not like it will set off the fire alarm.”
“Are you sure?” She pulled out her Juul.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” I motioned to her. “Mango it up.”
“I really do need to quit.” Phoebe lifted the Juul to her lips for a second and then exhaled some vapor that dissipated almost as quickly as it appeared.
“It’s better than the alternative right?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’d definitely have to go outside for that.”
“I honestly don’t know.” She shrugged. “Apparently it’s not as safe as everyone used to say in high school—back when it was still new.”
“I’m sure you’ll quit when you’re ready.” I nodded and smiled. “I don’t mind the taste of mango on your lips anyway.”
“I bet you’d like for me to do more than just let you taste them.” Phoebe tilted her head and grinned.
“Maybe so.” I laughed and winked at her. “Want to finish the movie first?”
“Nah.” She put down her Juul. “I’m ready to go back to bed.”
Phoebe let the bathrobe fall to the floor, and the sight of her gorgeous curves was enough to make my cock immediately spring to attention. I shed mine, and she started moving faster once I got close. I caught her around the waist right before we got to the bed and lifted her up so that she could fall against the mattress. My fingers rubbed her pussy, and she was already dripping with desire. I grabbed a fresh condom, unrolled it on my length, and started to push into her from behind. Her pussy practically spasmed on my length as soon as she felt my dick. I worked my want into her tightness with several slow thrusts, and then we were right back where we were before exhaustion overtook us.
A full night of sleep is definitely not in the cards for us tonight.
* * *
Phoebe spent the rest of the weekend with me, and we made a quick run to her apartment on Monday morning so that she could get ready for work. I convinced her to get more than just what she needed for the day so that she could stay with me at the hotel for a few days before she had to come back—I really didn’t want to spend the night without her in my arms if possible, and she seemed to be perfectly fine with that plan. I got to meet both of her roommates and was grilled about my intentions like they were her parents instead of just sharing a space with her. It was comical, and I entertained them since they seemed to be so concerned. It was later than normal when Phoebe and I finally got to the office, but it didn’t really matter since I set my own hours unless I had something important on the agenda.
“It’s going to be really difficult to focus on work after the weekend we just had.” Phoebe looked across the table at me and grinned.
“Yeah, but we promised to keep it all business while we’re here.” I narrowed my eyes and smiled.
“I can’t help it if you’re so damn distracting.” Phoebe shrugged, and her grin got a little more devious. “Or if I do something to distract you.”
“You better behave.” I cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah, yeah…” She laughed. “I will; I’m just playing around.”
“We’ll have plenty of time for that tonight.” I nodded. “I do have to go to the courthouse after work, and this afternoon I have a teleconference with Demi—at least there won’t be any distractions for you while I take care of those two things.”
“I’ll do my best to stay focused and not miss you too much.” She pretended to pout.
Despite promising to stay professional at work, we were anything but professional before I left for the courthouse. Phoebe moved her laptop right next to mine, and we teased each other constantly while we worked. I had to drink a glass of water and close my eyes just to get rid of my throbbing erection when it was time to leave. It was a damn good thing we had the conference room to ourselves because we would have probably caused quite a scene if people were wandering through our work area.
My trip to the courthouse didn’t go as well as I hoped. The judge was getting impatient with the constant delays and ordered us to set some deadlines. That was all part of the legal process, and a deadline was hardly set in stone—a deadline was just another thing to argue about. I could get it extended with a couple of motions, and while the judge was firm while we were in front of him, his caseload was going to work in my client’s favor. He wasn’t even going to think about Demi Hart’s case once we left the courtroom, and it wouldn’t be on his radar again until the deadline actually hit. The media frenzy that followed her initial arrest had died off once the public found another story to capture their attention.
Now to relay all of this to Demi, update her on what I’ve been doing, and make sure she understands that I’m worth what she’s paying.
Demi was not enjoying her exile from Hart Consulting, but I reminded her that it was necessary to keep up the appearance of the status quo until everything was resolved. She would have preferred to rush the case in front of a judge and might have convinced an attorney that wasn’t willing to stand their ground with her, but I knew it was in her best interest to keep things in limbo as long as possible. My opinion hadn’t changed since the case began—what she did wasn’t legal, but I really didn’t think she had any idea it was something that could land her in prison. She viewed those extras t
hat got added into her deals as personal bonuses or favors from her clients—not embezzlement.
There was a time when it would have been exactly that, but a lot has changed since her father ran the company.
“You made it back!” Phoebe looked up at me and smiled when I walked into the conference room.
“Yep, I got everything taken care of.” I nodded. “Did you hold down the fort while I was gone?”
“I made it through that box.” She motioned to the one next to her. “Only—dozens to go? How was your teleconference with Ms. Hart?”
“She’s impatient.” I sat down and sighed. “This is moving too slow for her.”
“Is there any way we can speed it up?” Phoebe tilted her head inquisitively.
“Nah, it’s actually better if it doesn’t speed up. The longer it takes, the more cases that the prosecutor has to deal with, and the better chance she’ll get a good deal from his office.” I opened my laptop and turned it on. “She’s lucky this happened somewhere like New York City where there’s plenty of crime that makes what she did pretty low priority.”
“I’m sure.” Phoebe nodded in agreement. “If this happened in Penny Grove, they would still be talking about it.”
“No doubt.” I chuckled.
“How did she get caught anyway?” Phoebe raised an eyebrow. “The news story I read said that she was reported by a concerned party.”
“It’s hard to say.” I shrugged. “It could be a client that felt like they were being taken advantage of and recognized that her requests weren’t legal or someone at the firm who thought their bonuses were lower than they should be because she was skimming money off the top.”
“So, there won’t be a witness to testify against her anything?” Phoebe tilted her head inquisitively.
“Nah, I don’t think they’ll need one. They’ve got plenty of emails.” I motioned to the boxes.
Other than what we were doing, my next step was to hire a forensic accountant to figure out what the true damages were. We needed to get everything organized before we could do that though, which could mean some long hours when the deadline got closer. The necessity of a second attorney was becoming more apparent every day, and I really could have used another research assistant or two if I wasn’t going to make Frank come help. If the case hadn’t led me to Phoebe, I would have been mentally kicking myself for ever allowing Hart Consulting to put my firm on retainer. There were plenty of attorneys in New York City looking for work, and a case like Demi’s would have paid their bills for a couple of years.
“Do you want to get dinner after work, or should we just get room service again?” Phoebe reached over and put her hand on my leg—then started slowly moving up my thigh.
“Room service sounds great.” I nodded quickly and put my hand on hers. “But we need to try and focus on the case until it’s time to call it a day.”
“Okay, Daddy.” She grinned and pulled her hand away.
I would have loved to let Phoebe’s hand move a little higher—and not stop until she did whatever she was willing to do with the conference table as a shield, but the job had to come first until our workday was done. I was having enough trouble focusing without thinking about her gorgeous curves—her soft, pouty lips—and everything that I wanted to do to her when we got back to the hotel room. My thoughts were enough to keep my cock slightly hard in my pants without having her hand on it.
I don’t think I could keep those thoughts in my head if we tried to go out for dinner. Room service definitely sounds like a good idea.
We worked until it was a respectable time to call it a day and didn’t even make it to the bottom floor before our lips were seared together. We managed to regain our composure before the elevator doors opened and practically ran to the curb so we could hop in our Uber. Our driver was talkative, and I wasn’t going to go full-on public-display-of-affection without a way to block his view—that didn’t stop us from teasing each other. I barely paid attention to what the driver was saying once Phoebe’s hand slid up my leg, but I pretended to stay engaged in his conversation with audible grunts and nods.
We’re here. Thank goodness…
Chapter Twenty-Two
Phoebe
My weekend with Arlo was so incredible that I didn’t want it to end, and I definitely didn’t want to spend an entire day at the office, but I did my best to stay focused on the job. The fact he was there helped. It just wasn’t enough. I wanted to be in his arms with my lips on his—until that led to so much more. I got my wish as soon as we got back to the hotel. We went to the bedroom before we ordered room service, and it was already dark before we finally sat down to eat. The food was just a necessity so that we didn’t starve, and we were back in bed as soon as it was over.
Tomorrow—rinse and repeat. This is where I belong.
* * *
It was impossible to wipe the smile off my face after spending a solid week in Arlo’s arms. When Friday arrived, I was so excited to have two days without any distractions that it was impossible to focus. We were planning to make the most of it because he was returning to Penny Grove at the end of the following week—thankfully, it was only for two days. He had asked me to go with him, and I was very tempted, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready. I couldn’t go home without seeing my mother, and I would have to tell her about Arlo. I wasn’t ashamed of our relationship, but things were so great that I didn’t want the negativity that her judgment was sure to bring.
“How’s the research going?” Arlo walked into the conference room and startled me from my thoughts.
“Oh, good.” I nodded and pretended to be hard at work. “How did things go at the courthouse?”
“The deadline is officially extended.” He sat down and opened his laptop.
“You’re not going to do more work, are you?” I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it almost time to go?”
“I just want to email Henry and give him an update on the case.” Arlo leaned forward and started typing. “The new attorney started yesterday, so I want to make sure Gregory is all caught up.”
“I remember him.” I leaned back in my chair. “He’s the guy who used to complain every time Frank microwaved fish on Friday.”
“Yeah.” Arlo chuckled under his breath. “Only during Lent though—the rest of the year, the office was fish-free.”
Arlo finished up his email, and we closed up shop for the weekend. We had gotten a little tired of room service, so we stopped by a place called Famous Sid’s to grab dinner. It was a sandwich shop that was a little out of the way, but we were able to take a cab there, pick up our food, and then hop in an Uber to get back to the hotel. I would have been fine with going straight to the bedroom as soon as we arrived, but the sandwiches would have gotten cold, so we took a few minutes to eat—we were going to need a lot of fuel anyway.
“Do you want to watch a movie or anything?” Arlo leaned back in his chair.
“Are you getting tired of our other method of entertainment?” I gave him a side-eyed glance and lifted my Juul to my lips.
“No, not at all.” He shook his head. “I just thought I would offer—I don’t want you to think that we have to go straight to the bedroom every time we walk through the door.”
“What if I want to go straight to the bedroom?” I exhaled vapor and grinned.
“You won’t hear any complaints from me.” He laughed. “The bedroom it is…”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about first.” I leaned over and picked up the bag I brought from my apartment.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Is there a problem?”
“Not at all.” I pulled out two pieces of paper that were folded together. “I just thought we could have some fun this weekend—if you’re interested.”
You’re going to see it eventually because I don’t want to hide it from you…
“I might be.” He gave me a curious stare. “What kind of fun?”
“So, this is…” I unfolded the papers and stare
d at them for a moment. “This is what Kristy Sinclair published. I don’t even know why I kept a copy, but I never got rid of it after I moved to New York City.”
“The game?” His head snapped back. “I definitely didn’t think you would hang on to something like that.”
“I thought about burning it so many times, but I never did.” I shrugged and put it on the table. “There were some nights when I just needed to remind myself of what I put behind me when I left Penny Grove—and this was how I did it.”
“Is that why you brought it? Do you want to burn it now?” Arlo seemed to recover from his momentary shock.
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to run from this anymore, and I don’t want it to be a source of pain—I want to turn it into something positive.”
I trust you. You make everything amazing, even when it scares me.
“How?” Arlo leaned over and put his hand on mine. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Well…” My eyebrow raised slowly. “How would you like to have a list of my fantasies—and try a few of them?”
“Seriously?” He glanced over at the table. “Are you sure about that? I mean—are those even your fantasies now? That was three years ago.”
“There are a few things on there I answered yes to in a drunken haze that I might not be curious enough to actually try, but there’s a lot of stuff I would…” I flipped my hand over and squeezed his. “Especially with you.”
“Okay.” He nodded and picked up the list. “Let’s have a look.”
I was nervous to share it with Arlo, but at the same time, I was ready to be liberated from the foolish night that changed the trajectory of my life. The easiest route was turning it into something positive—a game that we could enjoy—a list that I didn’t have to hide from. It was no longer my greatest shame because without it, I would have never stumbled so hard that I landed in Arlo’s arms. It was time for it to become a source of empowerment. I couldn’t change what Kristy Sinclair did. She was a jealous, vindictive bitch, and she watched my relationship with Jake go up in flames, but she got nothing in return—I did. I got the best thing in the world.
My Ex Boyfriend’s Daddy Page 14