If You Could Only Imagine (Buchanan Brothers Series Book 2)

by M. E. Clayton

  “Aiden, please…”

  Please, indeed. There was no getting rid of me now and I let her know it. “You should never have spread your legs for me again if you had any hope of ending things between us, Denise,” I said, my breath labored, the force behind my thrusts increasing. “You’re mine and I want everyone to fucking know it.”

  She closed her eyes and thrashed her head side to side, chasing the high only I could give her. The high that she was only ever going to get from me from now on. “Oh, God…”

  I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have this perfect, sensual creature beneath me, moaning my name and begging for my cock after everything that’s happened. “You’re mine,” I repeated in between stabs into her pussy. “I don’t give a fuck about anything else or anyone but you, Denise.”

  Her legs wrapped around my waist and she lifted her hips to help drive me deeper into her core. That green light had me drilling into her hard, deep and so forceful, the desk moved. I hammered my cock so deep into her wet cunt, there was no way anyone out in the hallway didn’t know what we were doing in here.

  And. I. Didn’t. Give. A. Fuck.

  If people were going to talk shit about our relationship, well, let them say how I’m so crazy for this woman that I can’t keep my hands off her. “Cum for me, baby,” I grunted. “Give it to me.”

  And she did.

  “Aiden!” she moaned as she flooded my cock with her release.

  “Fuck, yeah,” I echoed, slamming home in one long, hard, deep thrust as I emptied my balls inside her clenched pussy. “Just like that, baby.”

  We stayed locked together until her limbs finally gave up the fight and her legs slid down over my hips. I loathed to get up off her, but we couldn’t stay like this forever, so I straightened and stuffed my dick back in my pants. Once I was done, I pulled her up into a sitting position, and waited.

  Waited for her regret, her shame and her resentment to attack me again.

  But it didn’t.

  She raised those hauntingly beautiful eyes up to my face and gave me a small smile. “What a mess we are, Aiden,” she stated, breathlessly.

  I nodded because…well, she was right. We were a mess. A big, fucking mess. “I know,” I agreed.

  She was taking inventory of my cuts and bruises when she asked, “Are you okay?”

  I smirked. “I am now.”

  And I meant it.

  Everything in my world was okay as long as I had Denise with me.

  Mason’s comment about a man’s rib was spot on.

  Chapter 19

  Denise~

  Aiden let me freshen up in the en suite attached to his office, but I still felt as if everyone knew what we had been up to.

  When I had decided to talk with Aiden, I had every intention of going into his office and asking him about the story he told HR and about the fight with his father. I wanted answers, and if I’m being completely honest with myself, I had hoped he had some magical words to make this clusterfuck all go away.

  Instead, the second I saw his split lip and cut forehead, the realization that this man fought his own father over me really did a number on me.

  I heard Mason tell me that his brother loved me, but I didn’t truly believe him. No one falls in love at first sight.

  No one.

  Even with his own admission, that he fell in love with his wife the second he laid eyes on her, it still didn’t make the concept real. Connections like that are chemistry, not love. Real love develops over time, once you get to know a person. My mind simple couldn’t grasp that Aiden Buchanan could have possibly fallen in love with me over a handshake.

  Sure, the lust was true, right and real, but love?

  But when I saw his face, I realized that it didn’t matter if it was truly love at first sight or not. Aiden was defending me and trying to protect me because he really did respect me. And respect after the things I’ve witnessed growing up was my aphrodisiac. Or maybe it was Aiden that was my aphrodisiac.

  Either way, when he started calling me Ms. Hart and treating me as I had requested, well that had fucked with my emotions even more. I was so confused, and I let him-willingly, again-make me forget all the reasons we were a bad idea.

  And, once again, I was in the women’s restroom hiding like a fool.

  In the rom-coms, there was always a restroom attendant who you poured your heart out to, and then, miraculously had all the answers to solve all your problems. Well, we didn’t have a restroom attendant who had all the answer at BI. It was just me, the paper-free hand dryers and tampon dispenser.

  The truth of the matter was, my issues weren’t all that complex. I was keeping Aiden at arm’s length because of my perceived notions about people with money, status and the heartbreak I’ve witnessed involving interracial couples.

  I was basically blaming him for the world’s problems.

  Intellectually, I knew he didn’t have any control over his life growing up. He couldn’t be blamed for being born white. Or rich. Or successful. Or hot. Or sexy. Or hung like a goddamn horse. None of it was his fault, and I was treating him as if it was.

  I wasn’t being fair to him and I hated that let it get this far without having the balls to be a grownup and just talk with the man. I was attracted to him and I had turned this entire ordeal into a full-blown circus because I thought he was too good for me in all the ways that counted.

  Eyeing the countertop, I wondered how bad it would look if someone caught me banging my head against it. I mean, would it look like I needed to be locked up?

  The door to the restroom opened, putting a halt to my insane mental ramblings. I looked up to see the one and only, Shane Buchanan, walking in. I silently wondered how it was that I kept running into her in here when she had her own private office.

  And then a thought occurred to me.

  I turned towards the smiling beauty and blurted out, “Are you stalking me?”

  Shane’s face blanked out, and she just blinked at me twice before her shock subsided. “Uh, not the first time I ran into you here,” she replied.

  “But you’re stalking me now?” I asked, standing up and cocking my head at the woman.

  She smiled and there was just no accusing this woman of any sinister intent. “Yes,” she declared. “I couldn’t find you in your office and so I decided to try in here.”

  Jesus Christ. Didn’t this woman know who she was? She was Shane Fucking Buchanan. She had one of the most powerful men in the country in her pocket and one of the most powerful family names standing behind her, but she felt like she needed to chase me down for a meeting with her? “Shane, why wouldn’t you just schedule a meeting with me, or call me up, and order me to your office?” I asked, completely dumbfounded.

  One perfectly arched brow lifted. “I don’t order anyone to do anything, Denise,” she replied, sounding a bit hurt.

  I immediately felt like shit.

  It wasn’t her fault I was stupid over her brother-in-law and making a mess of my life. I let out a regretful sigh. “I’m sorry, Shane,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean-”

  Her face gave way to another beaming smile, and she flapped her hand at me. “Oh, don’t worry about it,” she said, graciously. “I’d be a rambling, babbling mess, too, if I came to work one morning to find out the entire building knew I was sleeping with Aiden, only to have a meeting with HR, and then another one with Mason, then to hear about an actual fistfight with their father, with it all ending in some awesome office sex.” She let out a low whistle. “Girl, I don’t know what your spine is made of, but to still be in this building facing down all these people…well, damn, woman,” she chuckled. “Just damn.”

  My eyes widened at what she just said. “Oh, my God!” I squealed. “Everyone knows I had sex with Aiden in his office earlier?”

  “Oh, no,” she gasped, reaching out and grabbing my hands in hers. “I’m sorry, Denise. I just threw that in because…well, I know the Buchanan men and when Mason told me you went to mee
t with Aiden after the fight…well…” She shrugged and left it at that, letting go of my hands.

  All the breath left my lungs in complete relief. “Jesus, woman,” I chastised. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  She laughed her lyrical butterfly laugh, and it was no wonder Mason Buchanan was an idiot for this wonderful person standing before me. “So, back to why I was stalking you,” she began again. I just nodded for her to continue, because I really had no words. “I made my decision to try to keep The Morgan Corporation a go and I need you on my team.” She winced. “Well, I’d like to have you on my team,” she amended.

  My breath faltered a bit. Holy shit! Shane Buchanan was handing me everything I needed to get my life back on track. I already knew I wanted to work for her when the rumors started, but now, in light of all the drama surrounding me and Aiden, this was literally the answer to a lot of my indecision.

  It felt like a life raft after a sinking.

  “The entire corporation?” I asked, fully aware of just how huge The Morgan Corporation was.

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t have the time, experience, or confidence to tackle something that big,” she clarified. “Mason’s going to separate the corporation’s components and leave me to run its marketing division. But I’ll still need all the things BI has now, as far a finance department, a marketing department, a proposal department and a few employees to actually be successful and a full subsidiary of Buchanan Industries.”

  I smiled at her enthusiasm and professionalism. It was no secret that her husband handed her the company, but she seemed determine to make it her own and prove the haters wrong. “I would love to work for you, Shane.”

  “Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p’ and shaking her head again. “You will be working with me, Denise. As will everyone who comes on board.” Then she gave me a sheepish smile. “My last name might be Buchanan, but I am anything but.”

  This woman really didn’t know who she was. “Shane, total honesty here, I think you are The Buchanan and you just don’t realize it,” I said as if I was revealing this huge secret.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “I’m just Shane, Denise,” she said, chuckling. “I’m just a girl who happens to have a kick-ass husband and a band of brothers.” Then she floored the shit out of me when she added, “And now a kick-ass sister-in-law!”

  My smile dropped. “Uh…”

  Shane’s grin rivaled the happiness of woodland sprites and fairies. “I bet you two dollars that you and Aiden are married by the end of the month,” she boldly predicted.

  “Two dollars? That’s some heavy hitting, woman,” I teased.

  She lifted a dainty shoulder in a quick shrug. “What can I say? I’m hardcore like that.”

  I laughed, and for the first time since shaking Aiden Buchanan’s hand, I felt lighter and freer than everything that was going on around me. “I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity, Shane,” I told her, honestly.

  Shane’s voice got serious. “There’s no need to thank me, Denise,” she began. “Your reputation and work ethic had me seeking you out even before this thing with Aiden.”

  I nodded and decided to just take her word for it.

  Things were looking up, and I was not going to let my insecurities cause issues where there weren’t any.

  And I was going to be able to be with Aiden.

  Chapter 20

  Aiden~

  I was walking out of the shower into my bedroom when I heard voices echoing somewhere in my kitchen.

  The Twins.

  I let out a sigh, walked over to my drawers, pulled on some basketball shorts and a t-shirt and went out to meet them.

  I shouldn’t be surprised to know they were here. There was no way Mason or Shane wouldn’t have told them about the fight. I’m pretty sure they were here for plotting purposes. I walked out of the hallway and found them both sitting in the exact same spots they had sat the morning they met Denise.

  “So, to what do I owe the pleasure,” I said, wryly.

  They both turned around, in sync as always, and they looked ready for battle, especially Michael.

  “Word on the street is that you and Dibtab got caught up in office gossip, she had to meet with HR and then Mason, and then you beat the shit out of dear, old Dad, only to end up making up with Dibtab, and now she works for Shane,” Gabriel recapped.

  I huffed and passed them to drop my ass on the couch in the living room. “Word on the street?”

  Gabriel grinned. “Well, the word on Shane Street,” he joked.

  “Yeah,” Michael joined in. “Pretty Girl called me to ask if BI had any boats at its disposal because we needed to murder Dad and then dump his body out in the middle of the Pacific.”

  “Jesus,” I mumbled, hanging my head and running my hands through my hair. “It wasn’t that bad.”

  I didn’t look up, but I could hear the twins making their way into the living room. “I beg to differ,” Michael retorted.

  I looked up at my brothers. “Seriously, Mike-”

  Gabriel nodded his head at my face. “Is that from the fight or does Dibtab not know her own strength?”

  I leaned back against the couch’s backrest. “It’s not from Denise, Gabe,” I answered.

  Gabriel remained seated on the coffee table as Michael leaned forward in his seat. “You know I’m going to end up killing him one day, right?”

  Michael was usually very pleasant and his voice light and teasing. But, right now, he was all business and a very scared part of me actually believed him. If we didn’t eradicate Harold Buchanan from our lives, Michael was sure to kill him one day. “It’s fine, Mi-”

  My youngest brother held up his hand to stop me. “That motherfucker dared to comment on her goddamn race, Aiden,” he reminded me. “Not only did he talk about her as if all our employees were some sort of sub-creatures, that man…” Michael stopped and let out a deep breath.

  Michael not being to articulate his emotions was a bad sign. It meant his veins were swirling with violent tendencies. I knew Harold would be dead right now if this were Shane we were talking about.

  But then, Shane was our…center. Nothing could happen to her. Her sweet disposition was what kept Mason sane, Gabriel happy, Michael calm and me at peace.

  “Trust me, Mike,” I said, trying to calm him the hell down. “I want to finish what I started with that bastard just as badly as I’m sure he wants action at coming after me again, but I’m not going to be fighting with him, upsetting Denise, when even kicking his ass won’t change his narrowminded ways.”

  “How upset was she,” Gabriel asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “When she…uh, came into my office to talk, well…uh, we didn’t get a whole lot of talking done.”

  Gabriel smirked, but Michael just narrowed his eyes at me. “So, are you guys cool then, or what?”

  That was a good question.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure if I had a concrete answer for him. After she cleaned up in the restroom in my office, she had come out, and before she could say anything, I asked her if we could just hold off until later.

  Not that I hadn’t wanted to talk about everything that was going down, I just didn’t trust myself to be able to have a rational, intelligent discussion about us. I was still fuming over the fight and high off the sex. Besides, it had been sheer luck we had managed to get away with fucking in my office without anyone opening the door. If Denise had remained in my office, we would have fucked a second time, for sure.

  And then a third.

  “I think with her working for Shane now, things might be a bit more…manageable,” I offered, lamely.

  “You think?” Gabriel squawked.

  “Fuck, Gabe, I don’t know,” I rushed out. “This entire situation is a goddamn disaster. I’ve had to defend my money, career, success and ethnicity to this woman, and now, I have to defend myself against my racist prick of a father. If she didn’t want to commit to me before, I
can’t see how she’d want to now. I mean, why would she want to marry into a family with a racist patriarch? We’re everything she’s been avoiding all her life.”

  Michael’s finger came up. “First, Mason is the Buchanan Patriarch,” he pointed out. “And, second, Dibtab seems more…tolerant than that.”

  “Yeah, Aid,” Gabriel chimed in. “It doesn’t matter how much of a worthless fuck Dad is, she can’t ignore how you fought for her.” He shrugged a shoulder. “At the end of the day, that’s all any woman wants. She wants someone who will defend and protect her.”

  Michael eyed me. “Safety, Aid,” he went on. “Just like I said earlier, it’s all about safety for the female species.”

  I dropped my head back, and facing the ceiling, closed my eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quit to kick her out of my office. I’m just not used to this kind of chaos. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m the normal one damn it.

  I was about to ask them if they wanted to go with me to drink my problems away when a knock on the door sounded. I had no idea who it could be other than Denise because the twins were already here and Mason, nor Shane, would knock. I jumped up and rushed to answer the door.

  The sight that greeted me held my feet hostage where I stood.

  “Mom?”

  My mother stood there, dressed in a classy, beige overcoat, covering everything except the hem of her black slacks and tan heels. “Really, Aiden,” she replied, her voice velvety. “Is it really such a shock that I’d actually visit one of my sons?” She didn’t wait for a real answer. Instead, she just walked passed me, into my home, just as casual as can be.

  I didn’t have any real issues with my mother, as of late. But we were all still very far from a happy, healthy family.

  She stopped in front of Gabriel and Michael, who were now standing, no doubt as surprised as I was. “What are you doing here?” I asked.