What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 3)

by Lauren Hawkeye

  “Pam, it has been my pleasure. You don’t need to thank me.” He winked at me and I rolled my eyes. He was so smooth with my parents, and it was clear that they both adored him.

  My dad shook his hand. “Nick, let’s just say that I approve. And I don’t take things like that lightly.”

  Nick smiled. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”

  “I appreciate all you’ve done for our Jules.”

  Nick nodded. “I love your daughter very much, Ron.”

  “We can both see that.” Jeez. Even my dad was getting emotional.

  We walked them out to their car and waved as they pulled away, and then Nick took my hand and led me back inside.

  “So now what?” I asked.

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you up for it?”

  “The nap helped. And, you know, the BMW and the cell phone and the way you handled my parents. Are you up for it?”

  He grinned. “I’m always up for it. So all I need to do to get you into bed is buy you a car?”

  “I mean I’m not saying you can buy my love, but, yeah, buying me a car will probably bode well for your chances of having sex tonight.”

  “Lead the way, Julianne.”

  I loved the way my name sounded coming out of his mouth. He guided me through the house with his hand on my back, and I melted into him the way I had so many times before. We walked up to his bedroom that was now ours, and I couldn’t wait until I was well enough to go home and get my stuff so I could really feel like I was living in this beautiful home.

  He led me to the bed and helped me sit, and then he slowly, gently undressed me. First he removed my shoes, and then he kissed me sweetly; then my socks, followed by another kiss. My pants, kiss, my shirt, kiss. And then he helped me out of my panties and my bra, and I laid naked on his bed as he caressed me and kissed me everywhere delicately and tenderly. I reached up with my uninjured wrist to pull him closer to me, and he pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it sweetly. And then he held my hand in place above my head as he continued his slow seduction.

  I was desperate for him. I felt the slow burn down low in my belly, the need for him building inside of me. His lips found my breast as he sucked, and I arched into him, moaning loudly in pleasure. His mouth worked its way down my body, down, down, down. He kissed the inside of my thigh, and just when I thought he was going to lick inside of me, he worked his way back up and kissed my lips. And then he hovered over me for a moment before he slipped inside of me, and suddenly everything was completely, totally right in my world with him moving gently inside of me.

  I woke up the next morning to a loud noise that I couldn’t place. It was kind of like a big bang, but it just happened once. Then I heard it again. It sounded like it was right outside the bedroom door.

  I stood up, still a little wobbly but overall even better than the day before, and I threw on some clothes and brushed my hair. Then I opened the door to see what was going on.

  Nick stood just outside the door. He grinned at me, sweaty in a dark gray t-shirt and black running shorts. “Good morning, baby.”

  He looked sexy. “Good morning,” I murmured, and that’s when I noticed that there were several large boxes just outside the door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Open the box,” he said mischievously.

  I did as instructed, and the box was filled with shoes.

  “Shoes?” I asked.

  “Look closer.”

  I did. “My shoes?”

  “Yep,” he said proudly. I was confused.

  “Why do you have my shoes?”

  “I went to your apartment this morning. I thought you might want more than just the three outfits I packed for you when we left your place after the accident, and as I was looking through your closet, I realized I had no idea what you wanted. So I went to Home Depot, bought some boxes and tape, and I just brought everything.”

  “Seriously?” I squealed.

  He nodded. “You did agree to move in here with me, right?”

  “I did!”

  “Then we’re going to need to get all your stuff here anyway. I just figured I’d speed up the process.”

  I hugged him hard. “I love you. So much.”

  “I love you, too, baby,” he said, kissing me.

  I took a quick shower while Nick cleared some space in his dresser and in his closet for my things. He moved the stuff he wore least often to one of the guest room closets to clear out space for me. Really, his closet was enormous and had plenty of room for all of our things, but he was particular about the spacing of his suits on the racks: “Three inches between each hanger!”

  I giggled as I rolled my eyes at him, and he smirked at me. “The joys of sharing a closet,” I said.

  I sat on the floor as Nick unpacked my shoes and I decided in what order I wanted to line them up on “my side” of the closet. He really was amazing; he never judged any of my belongings (even my fuzzy puppy dog slippers), and he cheerfully placed each pair of shoes wherever I told him to.

  After shoes, he found a box of t-shirts, and we followed the same procedure as shoes as Nick unpacked my stuff and I sat on the floor and directed. It was a perfect arrangement to get my stuff unpacked while I rested per the doctor’s orders. And it didn’t hurt that I got to stare at Nick while he worked. Good Lord he was sexy. He took off his shirt after the shoes were unpacked, and I nearly convulsed on the spot. I loved watching the muscles move under his skin as he worked.

  We went downstairs for a breakfast break after the t-shirts, and Nick made me eggs and toast as I sat at the table sipping my coffee. “Sorry you have to do this on your day off,” I said. “I know you don’t get many of them.”

  He glanced up from the pan at me. “Are you kidding me?” he asked, incredulous. “There is nothing I’d rather be doing than taking care of you.”

  He flipped my eggs onto a plate and added the toast, and then he brought me a jar of chunky peanut butter.

  “Oh my God,” I said, smiling at his thoughtfulness. I couldn’t believe he remembered how I liked my toast.

  “You know, Julianne, I had this goddamn jar of peanut butter sitting in my pantry, staring at me, after we broke up. I bought it right after you told me how you liked it on your toast. I got home from work one night after we had broken up and headed to the pantry to find something to put together for dinner, and I saw the jar in there. That night I ate toast with peanut butter for dinner. And you’re absolutely right, it’s delicious.”

  “I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Not when it comes to food.”

  He chuckled. “That’s when I knew that I couldn’t live without you.”

  I raised one eyebrow at him. “Seriously? Because of peanut butter?”

  He nodded. “Seriously. I sat and stared at that fucking jar of peanut butter for two hours, and I realized that you were more important to me than my job. I knew it from the beginning, but the fact that I had this… this reminder of you… just staring me in the face; well, it told me that I was a fucking idiot for letting you go. And I knew right then that I had to win you back.”

  Tears filled my eyes.

  “No, baby,” he said, brushing my cheek with his thumb. “Don’t cry. We’re back together now. Everything’s as it should be.”

  I unscrewed the cap of the peanut butter and saw that it was mostly full, with just enough missing from the top to prove that he had, in fact, tried my tasty treat. It was just one of those things that made my heart flutter.

  After breakfast, we returned to the bedroom to continue unpacking my boxes. We finished just before lunchtime, and Nick wanted to go back to my place and get more stuff (and stop somewhere for lunch).

  I hopped in the car with him and we headed for my apartment. We sang at the top of our lungs to Taylor Swift while we drove, and fifteen minutes into the ride, Nick’s phone rang. It was his new boss at BKG, Alex Brennan. Nick turned down
the radio to take the call. “Mr. Brennan, how are you today?”

  I hummed quietly along with the music and logged onto Facebook on my phone while he talked. My ears perked up when I heard him say, “For how long?” as I wondered what that was all about.

  He sighed and I listened to his end of the conversation. “Yeah, I can, but I’d prefer to wait a week or so… No, I just have some things I need to take care of… I understand. Okay. See you then.”

  He ended the call and sighed again. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I have to go to New York for some training, and Brennan wants me to meet the owners of BKG.”

  “When?”

  “We leave Sunday night.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  Nick slowed to a stop at a red light. He looked over at me. “Just for the week. We’ll get back in late Friday night. Baby, I’m sorry.”

  “Why are you sorry?”

  “Because. I asked you to move in with me, and then you got in this accident, and I just want to be here, to be with you, to take care of you.” He ran his knuckles against my cheek.

  “I know, Nick,” I said, leaning into his hand. “And you’ve done a wonderful job. I was thinking I’d be fine to return to work on Monday, anyway, and since I’ve got to finish out my whole two weeks, the sooner I get back, the sooner I can get the hell out of there so I can move to BKG.”

  “You can’t even use your hand,” he said, pointing to the cast that wound around my thumb and up my arm.

  “Good thing I’m right-handed,” I replied.

  “Julianne, you can’t go back Monday. The doctor said you needed to wait.”

  “He said a week, and Monday is a week since I woke up in the hospital. I’m fine, Nick. I could go back today.”

  “You tried yesterday and you weren’t ready for it.”

  “But all of the good sleep and great sex has really helped.”

  “You’re not going to listen to me, are you?”

  “Psh. Nope. You’ll be out of town, so what are you going to do about it?”

  “Good point.”

  “I have to keep myself entertained while you’re out of town. Work seems like a better idea than having an affair.”

  He laughed. “You’re too much sometimes.”

  “I know. Love you, sweetie.”

  “I love you, too,” he said, putting the car in park in my apartment complex parking lot.

  I saw how much Nick had already packed for me when I entered my apartment. I watered my plants and threw out the rotting veggies in my vegetable drawer while Nick moved boxes and packed as much as he could into his BMW. This round took care of the rest of my clothes as well as my bedding, rugs, and bath towels. We didn’t really need my old, worn towels given that Nick had brand new, high-quality products, but I had to clear everything out of the apartment by the end of the next month anyway.

  We headed back to his place with the load, and Nick did the majority of the work since I was limited with my cast. I was ready to get it off; it was a hindrance to moving out of my apartment, and it was starting to get itchy and bulky and just plain annoying. But I had to wait a few more weeks before my wrist would be healed.

  We made a plan for my furniture; Nick had a friend who had a truck, so we would use that to move the remaining stuff out of my apartment, most likely the weekend after he returned from New York. We had plenty of time, though.

  Before I knew it, it was Friday night and Nick said he had planned something special for me. The last time he had planned something special over a weekend, he had taken me to a very romantic dinner after he had gotten the job at BKG and then he had asked me to move in with him.

  “Are you still taking your painkillers?” he asked me.

  I shook my head. I really was trying to get off of them, and I was dying for a glass of wine.

  He grinned. “Put on something nice and pack an overnight bag.”

  I wondered where he was taking me, and I was excited for the distraction after sleeping so much of the previous week away while I healed.

  I took my time getting ready, partially because of the cast and partially because I wanted to look sexy for my man. My wrist was still sore, especially without the aid of painkillers, but I did my best with curling my hair and applying my make-up. Again, it helped that I wasn’t left-handed.

  I searched my closet for a dress suitable for Nick’s surprise, and I settled on a short black dress that had a sparkly silver beaded jewel top. I paired it with sparkly silver pumps that glittered in the light, and I found the perfect complement of tiny diamond stud earrings that my parents had given me for my high school graduation gift and a simple rhinestone bracelet. I checked my reflection in the mirror and with my long hair curled and my make-up perfected, I was ready to go.

  I headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I found my handsome man waiting for me. He was pouring us each a glass of wine when I appeared in the doorway. I couldn’t help but pause and stare at him. How did I get so damn lucky? He was gorgeous in a black suit jacket and gray shirt unbuttoned at the collar. His dark hair was perfectly mussed, and he focused on his task of pouring wine into two wine glasses, his lips pressed together in concentration. He glanced up mid-pour and then stopped, placing the bottle on the counter. Lust gleamed in his eye as he headed toward me. I held my cast behind my back so as not to ruin the effect of my outfit, and between his rugged good looks and the effort I had put into my appearance, we made a gorgeous couple.

  “How is it that every time we get ready to go out, all I want to do is stay in with you?” he whispered close to my ear, his breath tickling me.

  I giggled.

  “You are gorgeous,” he said, pulling back and motioning for me to turn around. “Perfection.” He kissed my neck under my ear, sending tremors of delight up and down my skin.

  “You look very handsome,” I said.

  “No match for your beauty.”

  I blushed all the way to my toes.

  “Sorry, you distracted me there. Glass of wine before we leave?”

  “Please.”

  He handed me a glass and held his up in a toast. “To tonight,” he said simply. I clinked his glass and then took a sip. It was, of course, delicious, the perfect complement to the delectable man standing before me.

  He leaned in and kissed me. “How did I get so lucky?” he asked.

  “I was just wondering that myself.”

  He grinned and we both took a sip of our wine. I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for me.

  I didn’t have to wait long, because soon we finished our drinks and he led me out to his car.

  We drove for forty minutes, and I wondered the whole time where he was taking me. He pulled off the highway and we drove on toward our mystery location, listening to the radio and chatting the whole way.

  He pulled into a long driveway, and I saw a Four Seasons sign before me. When we got closer, I saw that it said, “Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.”

  The valet opened my door for me and Nick got out and said something to the valet on his side. He came around to my side of the car and offered me his arm as we walked inside the lobby. He led me to a restaurant called Talavera, and we were immediately seated outside on the patio. It was a little before 5:00, and the sun was bright in the sky, but I could see that it was preparing itself for a gorgeous sunset.

  Our waiter appeared and brought Nick a glass of wine. He took a sip and nodded, and then the waiter poured me a glass as well. Nick toasted me. “To my lovely Julianne. I love you, and I want to spend every second of my life showing you how much.”

  I clinked his glass and took a sip. It was, quite possibly, the most fantastic wine I had ever tasted in my life. “Nick, that was really sweet,” I said. “And so is the wine.”

  Nick flashed me his grin, the special one he reserved just for when I was being cheeky with him, and the waiter appeared a moment later. “Sir, your lobster and corn bisque will be out m
omentarily.”

  Nick nodded, but his attention never left me. “I pre-ordered our meal. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I wouldn’t have a clue what to order at a place this fancy.”

  He chuckled. “I think you’ll be happy with what I’ve ordered.”

  “The bisque sounds delightful.”

  “This is fancier than we’re used to, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. “Why so fancy?”

  “I just wanted to treat you to something really special.”

  “You’re succeeding.”

  Our bisque arrived, and it was perfect, as was the main course (a New York Strip for him and a Filet for me) and dessert, a ridiculously decadent peanut butter and jelly chocolate cake.

  After dinner, we took a walk through the mountains on paved sidewalks. The path was clear, but all around us were desert plants: all sorts of saguaro cacti, barrel cacti, and prickly pears, and ocotillo trees and Palo Verdes. I was still wearing my heels, but I loved how they looked on me so I didn’t care that we were hiking the sidewalks; the sun was just starting its descent into the mountains before us, and the view around us was so gorgeous that I didn’t even have a chance to focus on my feet. We stopped to watch the beauty of nature as the sun dipped behind the mountains and we were left with the light reflecting on the few wispy clouds in the sky. There were brilliant golds, deep pinks, and glowing oranges that I couldn’t even put into words. It was simply the most stunning scenery I had ever had the pleasure to witness. And with this attractive man by my side, I couldn’t have asked for anything more breathtaking.

  He pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently, just once.

  “Do you remember our first date?” he asked, pulling back but holding his hands flat against my back. I loved when he did that; it made me feel safe and warm and protected and loved.

  I nodded. “How could I forget?”

  “Do you remember what I told you?”

  “You told me a lot of things. For one, you told me that you owned your own company, which turned out to be a total lie.”

  He chuckled and winked at me. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

  I smiled. “You also said that perhaps you found reasons to be near me at work, as I recall.”