by E. L. Todd
When we made it to the second floor, we saw the three extra bedrooms, two other bathrooms, and an office. It was similar to the first floor in the architecture and presentation. And each bedroom had a fantastic view of the city.
Holy shit.
“Well, I’ll give you two love birds some privacy to talk about it.” Pam gave us a smile then headed down the stairs and back to the living room.
When we were alone, I turned to Trinity and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “This shit is fucking awesome.”
Trinity couldn’t care less about my profanity. “I know…it’s beautiful.”
“But we can’t afford a place like this. Why would we torture ourselves by looking at it?”
“What makes you think we can’t afford it?”
“Well…I’m sure this place is, like, a billion dollars.”
“No, not that much,” Trinity said with a laugh.
“How much is it then?”
Trinity told me the amount.
“Like that’s much better,” I snapped.
“We can afford it,” she said. “And I want it.”
“Seriously?” I knew she had a lot of money but I didn’t stick my nose in her finances. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll pay for it upfront just in case something goes south at the company.”
“Upfront?” I blurted. “Shit, I have a sugar mama for a wife.”
“You didn’t know that before?” she asked in an amused way.
“Well, I did…but I’ve never got to use any of your money before.”
“Our money,” she corrected.
I rolled my eyes. “You worked for it. It’s yours. I’ll stick to my pitiful pile of cash.”
“It’s not pitiful…”
“It is compared to yours.”
“Anyway.” She waved her hand around to change the subject. “You want to get it?”
I gave her a dumbfounded look. “No, I hate it. Please don’t make me get it.” I talked in a bored voice.
“We’ll put down an offer then.”
My heart sped up. “I couldn’t even imagine living in a place like this.”
“Neither can I,” she said. “But it’s perfect. We can stay in the city and there’s plenty of space for the kids.”
“Who gives a shit about the yard.”
“There’s always the park across the street.”
“Yeah.” If my parents gave me shit for it I’d tell them to shut the hell up.
“Let’s go downstairs.”
We headed to the first floor then found Pam.
“We want it,” I blurted. “Like, give it to us.”
Pam laughed. “I like the enthusiasm.”
Trinity shot me a glare. “Play it cool, alright?”
“Actually, I have a few offers on this property as it is.” She handed the clipboard over. “So, it’ll be a very competitive decision. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Dammit,” Trinity whispered under her breath. “Do you have any tips to make our application more competitive?”
“Always overbid,” she said.
“Can you tell me what the other parties put down?” Trinity asked.
Pam pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t divulge that information.”
“Thank you.” Trinity started filling out the application.
“What should we offer?”
“Not sure,” Trinity whispered.
“I say we put at least an extra million,” I said. “But that would suck if other people put an extra ten million or something insane like that.”
Trinity put down the offer then handed it back. “Could you tell me the name of the person who owns this property?”
“That I can do. His name is Jett Stine.”
“Is he a rock star?” I blurted. What kind of name was that?
“Jett Stine…” Trinity said it like she was trying to memorize the name. “Thank you.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“Maybe my dad knows him. Or even Sean.”
I nodded my head slowly. “Good idea. I didn’t even think of that.”
***
As soon as we got into the bedroom, Trinity took off her clothes then lay at the edge of the bed. She didn’t waste any time getting down to the good stuff. Foreplay wasn’t even something she was interested in. Since it didn’t make me come, it seemed irrelevant to her.
I removed my clothes then stood at the edge of the bed. I grabbed her hips and adjusted her until she was exactly where I needed her to be. “I hope you never get pregnant.” I was staring at her gorgeous body when the thought came to mind. She had perfect tits, a tight stomach, and a perky ass.
“What?” Trinity said with hurt in her voice.
“Because I love having sex around the clock like this.”
“Oh…” She relaxed underneath me. “But don’t say that. Don’t jinx it.”
“I won’t, baby.” I kneeled at the foot of the bed and went down on her, making sure she was wet and ready for me. Then I rose to my feet again and slipped inside her.
Her hands automatically went to my hips and she pulled me as deep as possible. Her hair cascaded on the bed around her, and her blue eyes shined bright like the ocean at sunrise. “Slade…”
I loved it when she looked at me like that. I loved it when she said my name.
My hand snaked underneath her and up her spine. When I got a good grip on the back of her neck, I thrust into her as I pulled her down the bed and onto my long cock. I couldn’t sheathe myself entirely because her length wasn’t as long as mine but I could still get in most. Her pussy was always tight, so it constricted my shaft in such a good way.
I never wanted to get my wife pregnant, not when I was enjoying knocking her up so much.
Trinity kept her legs open and jerked my hips toward her, making me penetrate her over and over again. Quiet moans escaped her lips, and when she bit her bottom lip in the heat of passion it made my spine shiver.
“I’m going to put that baby inside you tonight.” It was the most unusual form of dirty talk we’ve ever had but it still turned me on. And I knew it really turned her on.
“Yeah.” She quickened the pace.
Having kids was something that still terrified me, deep down inside, but when I remembered who I was doing it with it didn’t seem so scary. Trinity was the best partner I ever could have asked for. She balanced me in ways no one else ever could. She was the love of my life, and making babies that had her beauty and brains was definitely a good investment.
“Slade, we need to come at the same time.”
At the same time? That was a lot harder than it sounded.
I rubbed her clitoris with my pelvic bone and got her really wet. My lips sucked her nipples and tasted her. Then my hand moved between her legs and rubbed her clitoris.
I was ready to come. I could pretty much do it on command. “Tell me when you’re ready.”
“Almost there.”
I rubbed my hand harder until she was practically screaming.
“Okay…I’m coming.” She dug her nails into me.
I gave her a few more thrusts before I released myself inside her. Knowing she was experiencing the same moment of euphoria just heightened my pleasure. It knocked the wind out of me and left me breathless. “You think we did it that time?”
“I don’t know…but there’s a good chance we did.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Beatrice
I walked through the aisle of the vineyards then found the grapevine I was looking for. The leaves were slightly withered, and there were a few holes pierced in the skin from a hungry bug. I trimmed away all the dead remains to keep the plant healthy but that didn’t eradicate the problem. We would need to speak to our pesticide provider to get this straightened out.
“Look at B. She’s hard at work.”
The sound of Jared’s voice made me forget where I was and
what I was doing. I turned toward the location of his voice and saw him standing there. He must have crept up on me when I was absorbed with the plant. He wore dark jeans and a blue t-shirt. It highlighted his blue eyes and made them burn like the sun. Instead of saying hi or thinking of something intelligent to say, I just stared at him. A queasy sensation developed in my stomach and my heart started to palpitate. My hands grew sweaty and I couldn’t think straight. Just his presence made me forget all logic and thought. I never used to be this way around him. I was always comfortable and calm. But now…everything was different.
“Everything alright, B?” Jared came closer to me and placed his hand on the small of my back.
The moment he touched me my breathing hitched. His hand felt so large across my small frame. His body emitted warmth, and it was inviting. I realized how I must have looked to him, blinded and love-struck. “You just caught me by surprise.” My voice came out strong, surprisingly.
“I did?” he asked with an amused grin. “I was whistling the entire way over here.”
He was? “I guess I was distracted.”
“Distracted by what?” He dropped his hand and came closer to me and examined the vine. “Damn, someone’s been getting free lunch.”
The second he came closer to me, I smelled his cologne. It had a seductive smell, but not overbearing. It mixed with his natural scent. I could recognize that smell in a crowded room. “We’ll have to talk to our pesticide guy.”
“And soon,” he said. “Otherwise there won’t be much left.” He examined the leaves with his fingertips before he dropped his hand. Jared was over six-foot and he filled out well. He was strong and toned but he wasn’t burly and large.
“Yeah…” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Why was I acting like this? Why couldn’t I just be normal? What if he caught on to these…feelings? What if he knew? “What brings you here?”
“Missed you.” His features didn’t change so I knew he was being serious. “I’m off today and didn’t have anything to do. I thought I’d terrorize you.”
Hearing those words made me weak. He missed me. But I had to shake it off. I was totally misinterpreting him. “Lucky me.” I forced myself to sound sarcastic but I had a feeling it wasn’t coming off right.
“Do you need any help?”
“No. I was just about to head back inside and call our bug guy.”
“Good idea,” he said. “We could take them on ourselves but I have a feeling we would lose.”
I chuckled even though his joke wasn’t that funny.
We walked through the vines and headed back to the estate. The cobblestone walls made it feel like we were really under the Tuscan sun. Jared looked around as he examined the property. “Seriously, why do you live in the city? This place is so much better…it’s clean.”
I chuckled. “It is nice.” I was making enough money to find a house in Connecticut but something was holding me back. In the city, I could see Jared nearly every day. If I moved out here, it would make it obvious that I was going out of my way just to see him.
We entered the building then walked to my office.
“So, how’s your day?”
“Good. Yours?”
“Pretty boring,” he said. “I got up and had breakfast while watching cartoons. Then I hit the gym.”
“Cartoons?” I gave him a disapproving look.
“Hey, cartoons are good. Don’t judge me.”
“I’m your friend. I’m supposed to judge you.”
“No.” He held up a finger. “You’re supposed to tease me. Big difference, B.”
We entered my office and Jared took a look around. “Pretty sleek…”
“Thanks.” I sat behind my desk then flipped through my contacts to find the pesticide guy.
Jared examined a picture frame on my desk. “Is this your mother?”
I nodded.
He picked it up and examined it further. “Wow…you look just like her.”
“I get that a lot.”
“She was very beautiful.” He nodded before he set the frame down. Then he saw the picture of my father. “And you look nothing like him.”
I chuckled. “You wouldn’t know we were related unless I told you.”
He set the frame down. “And good thing you look like your mother because your dad wasn’t exactly easy on the eyes.”
I rolled my eyes then grabbed my office phone. Then I made the call. While I spoke to our pesticide company, Jared walked around the office and examined the shelves and tables. Then he looked out the window and stared at the vineyard.
“Thank you,” I said into the phone before I hung up. “They’ll come out and take care of it.”
Jared suddenly grew serious. “Do you miss being a lawyer?”
“Well, I was never actually one. And no, I don’t miss it.”
“Really?” he asked. “You dedicated so many years of your life to it.”
I shrugged. “I like it here. My brother and I butt heads sometimes but it’s nice seeing him every day. And I feel closer to my family. I should have done this before.”
“Well, I think you would have been a great lawyer.”
I shook my head slightly. “Why?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Butterflies immediately filled my stomach. “What…?”
“You would win every case,” he said. “All you’d have to do is walk into that courtroom and bat your eyelashes. Well, unless the judge was a girl. In that case, you’d be screwed.”
I rolled my eyes even though I didn’t really mean it. His compliment made me feel airborne.
“You want to do something tonight?” he asked.
“What did you have in mind?”
He shrugged. “We could watch a movie and eat pizza. That’s never a bad plan.”
“Sure. Why not?” I was hoping I’d see him anyway. He was the main person I spent all my time with, and when he came to the vineyard just to see me it made my day.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to work.” He stared out the window for another moment before he turned to the door. “I know you actually have things to get done around here.”
“Yes. The vineyard would fall apart without me.” I was half serious, half joking.
“I’m needed elsewhere anyway. I have hearts to break and beds to crumple.”
He was joking, but the message still made me tense. “I’ll see you out.”
Together, we walked out of the building and headed to the entrance where the steps led to the two fountains on the lawn. His truck was parked next to the curb.
Before Jared reached the car he stopped and turned to me. “When are you off?”
“Probably at five.”
“Want to come straight to my place when you’re done? I’ll have a pizza waiting.”
“We ate pizza last night.”
He rolled his eyes. “Geez…so picky.”
“How about Chinese?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Italian?”
I considered it then nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Good. Her highness finally made a decision.”
I swatted his arm. “Don’t make fun of me.”
He laughed. “Baby, it’s my job.”
I stilled at the intimate nickname.
Alarm flashed in his eyes when he realized what he said. His shoulders suddenly stiffened like he did something stupid. Then he brushed it off like nothing happened. “So, five then?”
I tried to play it off too. “Yeah, sounds good.” My heart was beating so fast in my chest and it wouldn’t slow down. Hearing him call me that sent chills down my spine and made me feel hot and cold at the same time.
He came closer to me then looked down into my face. “How about you bring the wine? You get it for free and everything.”
I was aware of how close he was to me. And I wanted him to be closer. “I can do that.”
“Good. It’s nice to see you actually be productive.”
> I opened my mouth to unleash a smartass comment but I was silence by his touch.
Jared pulled me into his chest and hugged me.
We hardly ever hugged.
The second I felt his concrete chest, I pressed my face against it and felt it rise and fall. His smell came into my senses, and I cherished it like I never had before. Being held by him was nice…even if it was just friendly. My arms circled his waist and I felt the muscles of his body. They were hard and defined underneath his shirt. I stayed there for a long time because he didn’t pull away. If I didn’t move, would we stay here forever? Did he want to stay here forever? Before I could make more of an idiot of myself, I pulled away. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
Jared let go of me, but his movement was full of hesitation. “Yeah, I guess so.” He stared at me for a long time, like he was trying to memorize my face for the long road ahead. “Don’t work too hard.”
“I never do.” My eyes never moved from his. I wanted to stare at them forever, until they closed for the very last time.
“Slacker…” He winked before he walked around his truck and got inside.
I stayed on the sidewalk until he drove away and disappeared from my sight. My arms were across my chest and I looked into the distance like he might come back. I would see him later tonight, but for some reason…I missed him.
I turned to go back inside but stopped when I came face-to-face with my brother.
He had a knowing look in his eyes, and his grin had never been so wide. It looked like he just heard a very funny joke.
My cheeks tinted when I realized what he was so amused by. He must have seen Jared hug me.
“I’ve already said it many times but I’ll say it again. I really like him, Beatrice.” Without saying another word, he turned around and walked back inside.
Now I wasn’t fooling anybody. My brother didn’t believe I didn’t have feelings for Jared and neither did I. And it was only a matter of time before Jared realized the exact same thing.
CHAPTER NINE
Arsen
Silke kept a close eye on me for the following week. She watched me when she thought I wasn’t aware of her look. Anytime I turned her direction, her eyes were on me, but she didn’t give me a gaze that I was used to. It was full of hesitation, fear, and concern. That usual look of affection was gone.