Someone from the area would have an easier time with fast ideas, but I could scout around.
Arman squeezed my shoulder. “Got everything you need?”
“Yeah. This gives me a good starting point.” I turned to Kendal. “Send me an email if you think of anything else.”
“That sounds great. Thank you so much for helping with this. You can’t even imagine how thrilled I am.”
We gathered our belongings, and Arman took care of the check. “Well, I guess I have to steal Maddie away,” he said, squeezing my shoulder.
I glanced at him and let out a small sigh. He was incredible. We said our goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant together. Kendal and Joel turned left, and Arman and I turned right, toward the office. We walked in step down the street.
“I’m glad you’re helping,” Arman said. “The royal theme for the company party was great, and everyone was amazed at your level of detail.”
I glanced at his profile as we headed down the avenue, and I relaxed my shoulders. He was the best guy I’d ever meet. I took his hand. “That’s good to hear. Look, about the wedding. I need to know the budget you’re approving.”
“He’s my brother. I don’t have a limit. The last wedding I went to cost the father, like, two hundred grand.” He squeezed my palm. “Whatever they want is fine. So, do you want to go grab a drink?”
I rolled my eyes and made a funny face. “Technically, you don’t grab drinks unless you want to spill a glass.”
He laughed at my horrible attempt at a joke. “There’s the Maddie I remember.”
We crossed the street together. As we made it to the entrance of Central Park, Cyrus waved and walked toward us. I let go of Arman’s hand. “Looks like your brother is looking for you.”
Arman hugged his brother and gave him a shoulder slap. Caring without pretense was one of the many traits Arman had that made him perfect. He would be a great father and husband, given how attentive he was toward people he loved. I blinked as that thought hit me out of nowhere.
He asked, “Cyrus, what’s going on?”
Cyrus said, “Too much. Leah is ignoring me.”
“How’s dancing as a distraction going?”
“My partner quit because I’m not interested in her.”
Arman shrugged like that wasn’t important. “Were you dating her?”
He straightened and looked offended. “No. Then Jeff said I might have to sue for joint custody, but I don’t want to sue Leah like Jeff says. I don’t think fighting is healthy or how I build a relationship with my son.”
She’d been super nice to me the day she helped fix my problem. I felt little jabs in my skin, like I was betraying the Norouzis with that thought, so I coughed and said, “When Jeff texted me to tell me my marriage was officially over, I cried tears of joy. He’s still working on the custody but promised he’d finalize it soon. But if you don’t want it to be over, then, yeah, find another way.”
He let out a breath and looked relieved. Then he kissed my cheek. “Thanks, Maddie. Look, I’ll leave you two alone. I only intended to say hi.”
We stayed still as Cyrus left. Then I took Arman’s arm, and we strolled into the park. He tugged me closer, making excitement rush through me. “Ready to go get that drink?”
My mind raced. I wasn’t in their league, ever. “I think tonight is a bad idea.”
As we walked, he massaged me as if he could take the pain away with a simple stroke of my back. “Why? Your daughter is safe with my mom.”
I needed to tell him I would leave him, but I ached for him. Heat rushed through me. “She is, but…”
He lowered his voice. “We can go home.”
Maybe that was the best idea. I swallowed. “Okay, good.”
We walked through the park. I stared at our feet, which were still in step. “Earlier, at dinner, you ignored me, and I had the sense it was intentional.”
I hugged my waist. He saw through me sometimes. “Maybe it was.”
He let out a small sigh and whispered, “I was hurt. I can’t ever ignore you.”
Tears formed in my eyes, and I tugged him closer. I would never hurt him on purpose. “It’s just that I can’t control myself near you, and I get scared.”
His lips curved upward. “That’s good to hear. It’s the same for me, and I hope you trust me now.”
He stopped and wrapped his arms around me, and my eyelids fluttered. He bent lower, and my heart leapt as we kissed. The rest of the world disappeared. He took his time with me, and I tasted his sweet delicious crème brûlée from earlier.
Once he let me go, the world outside roared back to life with people passing us. He led me through the door. “Last night, I wanted more, but you deserve to be savored, Maddie.”
We headed to the elevator, and I curled my fingers with his. “Since my daughter’s gone, maybe we can, try… to be together.”
The door opened, and he swept me inside and then held me. “I want to be together forever with you when you’re ready.”
Forever never works out. I leaned away from him and pressed the penthouse button. “Let’s go to your apartment.”
One day at a time was all I had to offer, even to the man who made my skin tingle with awareness.
Arman
A night with Maddie in my bed had been all I’d wanted since I’d run into her again in Virgin Cove. I ushered her through grand room, which had long couches and a bar for entertaining. This part of my West End high-rise was for guests, not intimate friends. Thinking the word intimate made my cock harden, but I wouldn’t let anything happen until I knew for sure that this was what she wanted.
She didn’t owe me anything, and her husband’s demands in the past had probably worked because he’d made her feel guilty. I refused to be anything like her ex. She needed to show me what she wanted.
I held her lower back and directed her past the long wall of glass and the seating area to the kitchen. Then we walked behind my dining area with a chandelier and where guests could see all of Central Park. Nothing was intimate about this space.
Then we reached my private quarters. Maddie was different from everyone else, and I needed to bring her to the part of the apartment where I lived. We passed the marble island, and I let her go. “I have wine in the refrigerator. Would you want cheese and crackers?”
She gulped, and her big eyes gazed at me. “I thought…” She trailed off.
I returned to her and picked up her hands and kissed them. “In a few minutes. Let’s make sure we’re comfortable.” Then I let her go and took the wine out of the fridge and put out a plate of cheese and crackers.
She didn’t budge. “Are you changing your mind about me and tonight?”
I grabbed the glasses. “Relax, Maddie. We have time, and you’re still tense.”
She bounced on her feet. As I slid the wine in front of her, she glanced at me. “You’re right. I am a little scared.”
Her blush was adorable. I wanted to touch her and taste her, but I held back. “I’d never hurt you.”
I walked beside her to my sitting room, where I often took business calls or relaxed. She took a seat on the couch. “I know that. It’s why I’m here.”
I put the cheese plate on the circular glass coffee table. “Good. Do you like your wine?”
She nodded then sampled the cheese. Her lips smacked, and she took a second piece. As she finished, she sipped her wine. “Yes. The cheese with walnuts is good.”
I relaxed. “It’s a simple brie. I’ll get a basket sent down for you.”
She took a gulp of her wine. “You don’t have to get me everything because I like it.”
Once again, she misunderstood me. I put my glass down. “I like having you here, and seeing you enjoy simple things brings joy to me too. So I’m returning the favor.”
She laughed. “You’re kind and sweet.”
I slid closer to her, but I refused to touch her. “Only you bring that out in me, Maddie.”
She put her gl
ass down. “It’s hard to see you as anything but sexy and…” Then she cupped my face. “Perfect.” She closed her eyes and kissed me as she whispered, “Handsome…”
When our lips met, adrenaline rushed through my veins. I needed her. She was tastier than ice cream on a warm summer day. I just wanted to be sure she wouldn’t regret anything we did that night.
I swallowed. “You’re irresistible, Maddie.”
She stood and tugged at my hands, trying to pull me up. “I’m different with you.”
I held her in my arms and realized she was willing. “I’m taking you to the bedroom.”
She curled her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek as I carried her. She was mine, and it was time I had her.
Chapter Eleven
Madeleine
I stood in his room with the all-white bed and textured walls that would shine during the day in full sunlight and pops of blue with the blue throw, and I knew his mother had decorated it. I’d always wanted half her taste. My old home in Montana had been filled with unwanted furniture from the church giveaway and sheets that itched. I’d complained for years about having a red reaction to them, but Bob hadn’t cared.
He didn’t matter now. The sheets in my new apartment were soft, and all the bumps on my body had faded.
Arman closed the door behind him, and my heart sped up. This was it. I was his if he wanted me.
As Arman’s lips pressed against mine, I melted into him and forgot about the luxury and felt as if we were finally having our chance. He let my lips go, and I lifted my dress and tossed it.
I had bulges in belly and thighs, but I was healed from any wounds from my old life. Arman traced my body. “You’re gorgeous.”
Tears came to me as I cupped his face and stared into those beautiful eyes of his. “I’m not a teenager anymore.”
He laughed and moved in closer to kiss me again. “You’re sexier.”
I rocked back and decided it was time. I reached behind me and dropped my bra on the floor. His smile grew, and his gaze made my skin feel warmer. My breasts perked a little, though I covered them with my arm. “You always know how to make me feel good.”
He reached for my arms and gently moved them as he stared at me. “Trust me.”
My heart sped up. I wanted to kiss him. “I want to. I already trust you more than I thought possible.”
He lifted my chin. “Good. I want to make every one of your dreams come true.”
My eyes fluttered closed. “I want you.”
Then his lips met mine. He was my everything. I pulled at his shirt, and he helped by tossing it off. Then his hand went down and tugged my panties off. “Enjoy.”
His fingers brushed against my hips, and I thought he would touch my intimate parts in a minute. I closed my eyes. “Go slow.”
He stopped and removed his hand. I opened my eyes. He stared down at me. “Are you okay?”
I hugged him and wished I were confident and able to go with the flow. My cheeks heated. “I’m feeling too much. And I’m anticipating… pain.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “We can stop.”
If we did, I would never know what being with the only man I’d ever wanted would be like. I took his hand lower and guided him to my inner core. “No. I want you. Just be gentle.”
He touched gently, as if he was waiting to see if I would jump. I took a deep breath, my muscles all sweet and needy with anticipation.
He said, “Just let yourself go with this…”
His fingers then entered me, and I arched to let him. My body relaxed. Forgetting where we were, I sighed. “Wow.”
He continued, and soon, I saw stars. I had no idea how he knew what to do to set me off like he did. As my mind started to work, I realized he still was still wearing his pants, and I reached for the buckle. “What about you? I should—”
He walked me to the bed and slid out of his pants and boxer briefs. “Should isn’t a reason I want from you. We can stop.”
I lay down on the bed and reached up, tugging him closer for more of his sweet kisses. He kissed me like I was delicious. My hands traced his muscular body, and between our lips melting into each other, I whispered, “I want… this.”
“Just wait,” he whispered back. Then he kissed my nipples and lowered himself.
I listened. Then I bucked as his tongue pressed against me. “Oh my…” My heart raced.
He came up and leaned over me.
As I stared into his eyes and held his shoulders, I could only say, “I…”
He pushed my hair to my side. “Don’t panic. Tell me what happened.”
Tears formed in my eyes. He probably thought what he’d done was normal. I cupped his face. “I… didn’t know you’d… do that.”
His eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t like it?”
I shook my head and then kissed his cheek. Arman knew how to make me feel. Part of me didn’t think a night like this was real. “I liked it. It was unexpected—that’s all.”
His lips quirked. “Then relax.” He went lower on my body, trailing my skin and nipples with his attention.
I knew we were closer. I trusted him in a way I never had before. The words were hard to say, but I wove my fingers in his thick dark hair. “It’s… just that you’re perfect.”
“Only to you.” He used his tongue on my nether regions again.
I sighed. My core quivered, and I felt wonderful. Then I stopped feeling anything. I was a bundle of nerves that he controlled with a flick. My eyes became blurry, and I lost the ability to see. I was lost. My moans sounded distant to my ears, and I climaxed. I felt born anew when I could process what had happened to me. My cheeks warmed.
Arman kissed me. “Are you ready for me?”
Everything else we’d done had been magical. I swallowed. “Yes.”
He pressed his penis closer, but my muscles contracted. He stopped and lay beside me. “You’re tense again. I think you should be on top.”
I would be in control. My heart stirred. I climbed on his chiseled body.
I reached for his cock but stopped when he said, “Wait.”
My eyes widened. “What happened?”
He unwrapped a condom. “We’ll need this.”
I had no idea where it had come from. I helped him slip it on. Perfect. I slid him inside me and set the pace. I needed him, and he’d already made my every wish a reality.
Chapter Twelve
Madeleine
The sunshine outside the wall-to-wall windows of the penthouse was not what I normally woke up to. I stretched. I was naked under the sheet. I sat up, wrapping it around me.
My mind raced. Arman wasn’t in the bedroom. All my life, I’d been lectured on how not to be a sinner and how I was horrible at giving satisfaction. With Arman I was… free, but I wasn’t sure I’d given pleasure.
As I stood, I decided to drop the sheet and the pretense that I had to always temper myself even when no one was here. Standing, I saw a shopping bag with my name on it. I stopped on my way to the bathroom and found new jeans, a shirt, and fresh underwear. He had thought of my needs.
I took the bag, cleaned myself, and dressed. My stomach churned as I came out of the bathroom. Hunger wasn’t my normal morning feeling, but then, the previous night had been new too.
I made my way to the shiny white kitchen that was bigger than most apartments in New York and immediately found the one man I adored, who stood fully dressed by his coffee machine, making an expresso with steamed milk. He finished brewing his cup, and I closed the space between us. I’d expected to be filled with regret, but I wasn’t.
“How is it morning already?” I asked.
He handed me the cup he’d made and started making another. I noticed the light smell of cinnamon. I smiled. This had been made for me—he never put spices in his coffee.
He pressed the button for his coffee machine to start with more beans for another fresh cup. “Coffee is made, and my mother took Aurora to her drama club for you.”
I waited till he’d finished adding milk to be frothed. When he turned toward me, I said, “Thank you. I’m happy she’s getting out of her shell, and she’s enjoying being in a play.”
He kissed my cheek and reached for a cup above my head. “Good.”
I was comfortable with him, and I liked being near him even more than I had before. As took his coffee and we headed to his marble tulip table in the breakfast nook by the window, I said, “I was so sure I’d sneak out in the middle of the night.”
He held my chair for me and then took the seat next to me, setting his untouched drink in front of him. “I’m glad you decided to stay.”
My smile grew wider. We both sipped our coffee. “Me too.”
He put his cup down, and I did the same. My pulse grew faster, and I closed my eyes. A minute later, his lips met mine, and steam rushed through me.
When the kiss ended, he brushed my cheek. “You’re delicious.”
His phone rang on the kitchen table, and out of habit from working at the office, I jumped and checked it. The number was from Cleveland, which meant this was about the new game acquisition. I handed it to him. “You too, but this is probably important.”
He took the phone, and his oven beeped. I headed to it and took out the fresh croissants. The buttery baked good wasn’t what I’d expected. My mouth watered. I put them on top of the oven to let them cool and found the plates.
Arman said into his phone, “I can be there by nine.” He looked at me and added, “Make that ten.”
I put my hand on my hip as he hung up. “We’re not usually open on Saturday,” I said, and my stomach twisted. If he wanted another round, I would have to focus entirely on him and not lose control. My hands were tense. “Did you make these yourself?”
He placed them on a plate. “We’re not open officially, but the game I want to include in our platform was created by a couple of high school kids, and their parents work on weekdays, and no, the chef I hire to deliver my meals dropped off a batch. I heated them.”
We returned to the table, and I said, “Ahh. That deal is complicated.” He put a plate in front of me, and I tried one of the croissants. “These are delicious.”
Honey Bun: Virgin Cove Trillionaire Single Brothers Page 10