She approached my desk and sat down. She looked rested today and relaxed. She leaned forward, her hair slipping over her shoulders. I resisted the urge to hunch closer and wrap her hair in my hands and kiss her. Hard. Instead, I winked.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Her smile lit her face. While I hated the fact that being called beautiful was something new to her, I loved the idea of how much it pleased her. How much I pleased her.
“Hey yourself,” she replied.
“Sleep well?”
“Very. I woke up about five, still in Sammy’s bed. I’m sorry about falling asleep.”
“Not an issue. I enjoyed my time with Elly.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “I’m sure ‘enjoyed’ is a strong word. No doubt she interrogated you endlessly.”
I lifted one shoulder. “Once I promised to have copies of the last four years’ tax forms and bank statements to her by tomorrow, she eased up.”
Liv gaped and I chuckled.
“She was fine, Liv. She asked some questions. I answered. I had her tell me some funny stories of you growing up, so I have some ammunition, and we’re all good.”
She joined in my amusement, then sighed. “Well, you must have charmed her too. She likes you.”
“How can you tell?”
“She called me before the meeting to tell me she and her best friend Phyllis have decided to take their granddaughters to Great Wolf Lodge”—her eyes widened dramatically—"for the weekend.”
The meaning of her words sunk in. “You mean I get you all weekend?”
“If you want me.”
I leaned closer. “Let me be clear. I want you. I want you at my place all weekend.”
“Your place?”
My gaze skittered to the door. The hall was empty—the crews out working, Jordan still getting coffee and no doubt talking to Sandy. I rose over the desk and wrapped my hand around Liv’s neck, pulling her close. Her scent drifted around me—soft, warm, and inviting. Our eyes locked.
“I want you in my house. Sitting on my sofa. Eating at my table. In my bed.”
She whimpered, the sound low and needy. I slid my hand into her hair, fisting the silky curls.
“I plan on fucking you everywhere in my house. It’s gonna take a while, but we’ll start this weekend.”
Her cheeks flushed.
“I want to wake up after you’re gone and smell you on my sheets. Taste you in the air. Use the mug you touched, knowing your lips pressed on the rim so it feels as if I’m kissing you even when you’re not there.”
“Kiss me now,” she pleaded.
My mouth covered hers, our tongues sliding together. Coffee, sweet, and Liv. She gripped my neck, her nails scratching lightly on the skin. I fisted her hair, keeping her close. I heard the humming in the hall, and regretfully eased back, dropping three fast kisses to her mouth, then one to the tip of her nose before sitting down.
“I have an off-site meeting on Friday afternoon. Pack your bag and come to me as soon as you leave work. The code to the door is 8645. I’ll send you the address.” I paused. “Liv, take an Uber or a cab. I’ll pay for it. Understand?”
She nodded in agreement and stood. She ran her hands over her hair and straightened her shirt. Her eyes were glazed, her lips wet.
“Don’t bother packing too much. I don’t plan on letting you out of the house, and you’re not going to need many clothes,” I added.
She inhaled sharply and spun on her heel, hurrying to her office. I liked watching the sway of her hips as she moved away. I heard Jordan call out a greeting, and before he came into the office, I wiped my mouth, knowing Liv’s gloss was there.
I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction again.
Liv
I stepped out of the Uber and stood looking at Van’s house. He only lived a short distance from me—on the other side of the park Sammy and I went to all the time, but the area was vastly different. Mine was filled with condo towers and busy traffic. His house sat on a relatively quiet street. The houses were Victorian and solid, most of them three stories, built of brick with big windows. The yard was small, but with land at a premium in Toronto, any yard was a bonus. He had a wide porch, with a big swing to one side. Light glowed behind the closed shutters.
I swallowed and took a calming breath, gripping the handle of my knapsack tightly. Why was I so nervous? It was Van.
I swallowed again.
Because it was Van.
The man I had liked privately for so long. Who amazed me. Inspired me. The man who went from coworker and friend, to lover and protector in a short space of time, and the man I was certain I was losing my heart to.
I knew once I fell for him, there would be no turning back, and life would never be the same.
I huffed out a long exhale of air, looking down at the bag in my hand. I hadn’t spent a weekend with a man in a very long time. I followed Van’s instructions, but I did a little shopping this afternoon in between some appointments. I was sure he was going to approve of what I bought.
The front door opened, and Van stepped out onto his porch. His massive shoulders filled his doorway. Dressed in a Henley with the sleeves pushed up his forearms and jeans, he was incredibly sexy. There was a dish towel thrown over his shoulder, and his feet were bare. The porch light caught the glints of silver in his hair. He frowned in worry as he stepped forward.
“Livvy? You okay, baby?”
His term of endearment melted away my nerves.
It was Van, for God’s sake.
“Just admiring your house.”
His wide grin lit his face, and he held out his hand. “There’s more to see inside. Come with me and I’ll show you.”
I hurried forward, suddenly wanting to close the distance between us. He met me at the stairs, his hand still extended. I slipped my palm into his and let him tug me up the steps. He pulled me close, pressing a kiss to my mouth.
“I’ve been waiting, Liv. I was getting worried. When I saw you outside, I thought you changed your mind.”
“Sorry,” I breathed against his lips. “I was sort of lost in my thoughts.”
I felt his smile. “I’ll let you make it up to me.” He dropped a kiss to the end of my nose. “Now let me get you inside so I can kiss you properly.”
“Okay.”
He led me inside, taking my jacket and bag. As soon as the door shut, he swept me into his arms, his mouth covering mine. His kiss was long and passionate. It said “Hello, and I missed you. I’m glad you’re here.” The way his arms held me close made me feel safe and welcome.
I wanted to be greeted that way every day.
By him.
He pulled back, dropping one last kiss to my mouth. “I’ve been waiting all day to do that.”
I touched his lips with my finger. “I hope it was worth it.”
He captured the end of my finger, swirling his tongue on the digit. “Completely.” He wrapped his arms around me, tucking me close. “I’m glad you’re here, Livvy.”
I sighed in contentment, nestling into his solid chest. “Me too.”
He drew back and picked up my bag. He indicated the rooms ahead. “Dinner will be ready soon. I’ll go put this in my bedroom. I have wine open on the counter, so help yourself. Look around and make yourself at home.”
I found the wine and poured myself a glass, sipping the heady red wine appreciatively. I looked around in admiration. The house was so…Van. The creamy-colored walls were set off with gorgeous mahogany woodwork. The hardwood floors were smooth and polished under my feet. The kitchen was sleek and modern. The large living/dining room felt homey with comfortable furniture in navy and gray. The huge mantel had obviously been carefully restored and updated with a gas fireplace. I could imagine being curled up in one of the deep chairs while the fireplace warmed the room and snow fell outside.
Oddly enough, I could picture Sammy coloring on the rug, and Van napping on the sofa as I read, all three of us content to be close on a lazy
day. I shook my head to clear those thoughts. I was getting ahead of myself. Still, I glanced back as I walked toward the kitchen, the image firmly planted in my mind.
Van looked up from the oven as I slid onto a barstool at the high counter. “Hey. How was your afternoon?”
I perched my elbow on the counter, leaning my chin on my hand. “Tiring, but good. We handed over the keys to Mrs. Miller, so the job is done.”
He chuckled and slid a plate of antipasto in front of me. “Why do you think I had the wine ready?”
I popped an olive into my mouth, humming at the salty flavor.
“How was she?”
“Fine. She loved almost everything. I think it helped that Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox were there. The three of them are pretty intimidating as a group. Anything she picked at, one of them had an answer for, which shut her up fast. Especially when Maddox started on the fact that we went over budget because of her demands.”
Van smirked and swallowed the cheese he’d been munching. “Maddox’s budget and the one the client sees are two different things. We were well under the real one. Bentley was impressed with how well we did.”
I picked up a piece of Asiago cheese, enjoying the sharp taste. “Yes, he told me. He also promised never to do this again. Once was enough. If I wanted to deal with clients harping at me all day, I would have stayed at my other job.”
Van picked up a thin slice of baguette, adding some cheese and another olive and held it up for me. He leaned on the counter, watching me eat it.
“I’m glad you left that job, Liv. You’re right where you should be.”
“At BAM, you mean?”
The timer on the oven pinged, and he grabbed the oven mitts.
“At BAM, yes. With me at BAM,” he added with a wink. “Especially with me.”
I had to smile.
Liv
“That was the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten.”
Van dipped his head in acknowledgment as he picked up his wine. “It’s one of my favorites. Plus, I can make a huge pan and eat well for a week.”
“You, ah, do have a healthy appetite.”
He threw back his head in laughter. “That’s being polite. My mom always says I ate them out of house and home as a teenager. To be honest, it hasn’t changed much. I burn it off fast and I always seem to be hungry.”
I couldn’t help but eye him in appreciation. His body was amazing. Strong, thick, and powerful. His muscles rippled as he moved, and I loved watching him. He was very sexy.
He met my gaze, one eyebrow lifting in amusement. “See something you like, Livvy?”
I tried not to be embarrassed at staring, but I failed. Van caught my hand and lifted it to his mouth. He pressed a long kiss to my knuckles and laid my hand on his chest.
“Stare away, baby. Whatever you see when you look at me is yours.”
“Mine?” I squeaked.
“All yours. If my body gives you pleasure, stare away. I like knowing I please you.”
The words were out before I could stop them. “Oh, you please, all right.”
He leaned closer, draping his arm across the back of my chair, tugging me close. “I aim to please you a lot tonight, Liv. You up for that?”
I rested my hand on his thigh, meeting his open, honest gaze. His dark eyes were lit from within with a warmth and sincerity I found appealing. His candor was refreshing. He didn’t play games or say things he didn’t mean. He wanted me, and he wanted me to know that. I slid my hand farther up his leg, running my fingers over the growing bulge.
“Certainly feels like you are,” I murmured, tracing the ridge of him under the denim.
He groaned low in his chest. “Unless you want to be dessert, I suggest you stop and let me get coffee and the cupcakes I picked up for you.”
My hand stilled. “Cupcakes?” I hesitated. “What kind of cupcakes?”
He chuckled, lifted my hand from his leg and brushed his mouth over my knuckles. “Cockblocked by baked goods.” He kissed me, his teasing tone letting me know he wasn’t upset. “White with vanilla frosting from Joan’s Bakery. I’ve seen how territorial you get over those at the office. Didn’t take me long to figure out those were your favorite.”
I slid my hand back to his leg, squeezing his cock lightly. “So is this.”
He leaned close, brushing his lips over mine. “Guess what, Liv? You get to have your cake and eat it too. You get both tonight. In fact, I got a dozen cupcakes. You get both all weekend.”
I met his intense gaze with one of my own. “Good.”
Together we cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. Van’s kitchen was well-equipped and organized—much the same as the rest of his house. I gazed around the open concept of the main floor.
“You have such a great place. I love the layout.”
“I did a lot of work to it when I moved in. Like so many older houses, it was a bunch of little rooms. I knocked down some walls and opened it up.”
“It’s lovely.”
He braced his arms on the counter, looking around the room. “I like it. It’s got three big bedrooms, a dry basement, and the holy grail of all wish lists for homeowners in Toronto.”
My brow furrowed. “Which is?”
He chuckled. “A backyard and a garage. There’s a spot to park my truck and a place to sit in the summer. Both of which are hard to get here.”
He flicked on a light and opened the patio door. I stepped onto the deck, looking around, curious. Small, but well laid-out, the backyard had a deck with a built-in gazebo that offered privacy and shade from both the sun and neighbors. A small footpath led to the garage. A tall fence surrounded the yard. There was even a garden—tiny but flourishing. “What a great space.”
He stepped beside me. “Yeah. I planned on adding a hot tub in the corner here, but I seem to be too busy at work to get around to it.” He indicated the garden. “My mom helped me plant that. She loves gardening. Good thing, or it would be overgrown pretty fast. I never have time to work on it these days either.”
“Bentley does keep us busy.”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Are you worried about this new company we have to work with?” I asked. “Do you know anything about them?”
He shrugged. “Not really. I checked them out, and the rep is solid. If Jordan is okay with them, it’s fine. It’s really a simple job for them. Demo and rebuild to our plans. As long as they follow orders, it’s good. I don’t have to like them, just work with them. And they’ll only be there for the first part of the project. As other projects finish, I’ll bring in our own people, then you can work your magic.”
“I guess we’ll meet them on Tuesday.” Jordan had scheduled a meeting for us all to meet in the morning. It would be a planning session, and all the details would be hammered out. Once it happened, the project would begin.
Van nodded, rolling his shoulders, a small grimace crossing his face. He had done the same motion a few times during dinner. “Yep.” Before I could speak again, he wound his arm around my waist. “No more work talk. The only thing I want to concentrate on this weekend is you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Then let’s start with cupcakes and go from there.”
“Okay.”
“You missed a bit.”
“Pardon?”
Van smirked and tapped the edge of my mouth. “Icing. You missed a bit of icing.”
“Oh.” I licked at the edge of my mouth. “Can’t have that.”
He laughed. The cupcakes were delicious. Light and fluffy, with mounds of rich buttercream piled on top. Van was amused as I instructed him the proper way of eating them.
“You break them in half and turn the top over,” I explained, demonstrating. “It’s a cupcake sandwich. You get icing in every bite!”
Still, due to the large amount of the sweet frosting, I got it on my face. It never failed. Van shook his head, edging closer, lowering his face to mine. “You still missed,” he breathed
. “I’ll have to get it for you.”
His tongue touched the corner of my mouth, sweeping along the edge of my lips. He slid his hand up my neck, pulling me close as he dipped inside. We kissed—long, unhurried kisses that tasted of sweet vanilla and promises of what would happen later.
Until he flinched and eased back, another grimace crossing his face.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
“Van, what is it? You keep grimacing.”
With a deep sigh, he sat back, rubbing his shoulder. “I was helping tear down a kitchen this morning. I had two crew members call in sick, so I had to step in and lend a hand. The sink and counter fought back.” He rolled his neck. “They won.” At my worried gaze, he waved off my concern. “It will settle, Liv. I took some pills. It takes longer sometimes than others.”
I studied him and stood. I hurried to the bathroom and grabbed the bottle of lotion I had seen earlier. When I returned to the living room, I sat in one of the large chairs and tossed a cushion on the floor. I opened my legs and indicated the cushion. “Take off your shirt and sit here.”
“Um…”
“Don’t argue, Van. Just do it.”
His eyebrows rose slowly. “Okay, Ms. Bossy.” He stood and tugged his Henley over his head in the effortless way only guys could do. It was sexy and slow, but I hated seeing the glimmer of pain cross his face at the action. He lowered himself to the floor, squeezing between my legs. I could feel his tension as he eased back, wrapping his arms around my calves.
For the first time, I fully saw his scars. I had felt them before and even glimpsed them, but this was the first time I had actually seen them up close. Deep and long, they ran down his shoulder and back, a crisscross of pain he carried with him at all times. Gently, I ran my fingers over the grooves. He stiffened at my touch.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “Your touch never hurts.” He drew in a long breath. “They’re ugly, though.”
I leaned down and feathered kisses along the marred skin. I traced each line with my mouth, making sure to touch every one. He shuddered in long spasms that raced down his spine.
Van: Vested Interest #5 Page 15