Promise (Venture Capitalist Book 2)

by Ainsley St Claire

  I’m satisfied and happy that she loves it as much as I hoped she would. “I was hoping you’d want to eat out here.”

  We unload her car and get things put away. Sara snacks as I make dinner, and we talk about our days, our jobs and our families. Jim and Carol sound amazing. I know they must be proud of her.

  After we eat and clean up, Sara loops her arm into mine and walks with me down to the beachfront. As we walk along the beach, we hold hands and wander aimlessly, the tide lapping at our feet, the seagulls singing their songs as they fish for their evening dinners.

  Only a few of the beach houses have lights on, but as we pass, Sara tells me about the people who live in each one.

  “You met Mackenzie at the bakery?”

  “I did.”

  “This is her parents' place. Like us, they were mostly summer residents, but we were inseparable growing up. I’m a little older, but we would ride our bikes into town for ice cream, talking about boys and our grand plans for our futures.”

  “Did they turn out like you thought?”

  “Not in our wildest dreams. They turned out better.”

  When we make our way back to the beach house, I lead her inside, then close and lock the door behind me. Her mouth crashes into mine, and we cling to each other as if we hadn’t spent the afternoon together.

  I pull her into the living room after me, hungry for more. Swaying her hips to an invisible beat as she removes her clothes and exposes herself, she moans before I even touch her.

  Breathing in her delicious scent, I whisper, “So beautiful,” and press my tongue to the center of her wetness, lapping a few times before moving to suck her clit into my mouth. She jerks at my touch and releases my hand, moving hers above me and latching onto the couch behind her head as her moans start to pour from her lips. My tongue is thick and deliciously wet as I rhythmically drag it across her core. The slight pressure of my fingers against her entrance has her crying out.

  “I want to hear my name when you come, Sara.” I lick her and she glances down at me, the expression on her face shooting an arrow deep into the core of my desire.

  “Anything you want. Just please don’t stop.” She reaches to me and grips the top of my head, pulling me back down. “Trey,” she groans a couple minutes later, writhing beneath me.

  I sit back on my heels and smile, licking my lips and cleaning my fingers with my tongue. “I want more.”

  “Me, too.” She scoots forward and wraps me in a hug, pulling me flush against her as she presses her lips to my ear and licks softly. “I want all of you.”

  “I’m all yours, baby. Take anything you want.” My cock nudges her, finding her slick and ready. I groan. “Always ready for me.”

  Removing a foil packet from my pocket, I quickly tear it open and sheath my throbbing cock. It’s only moments before I’m inside her, opening her wide. Her mouth opens in a silent cry as I seat myself completely inside her.

  We eventually move to the bedroom and continue to alternate between sleep and our lovemaking, moving from soft and slow to hard and fast and back.

  My Friday morning wake-up call is my favorite kind. Sara is remarkable. Her mouth is perfect as she gets on her knees, stroking my hard and wanting member.

  She pauses and murmurs, “I think it’s bigger this morning,” before taking it deep in her mouth, sucking up and down while staring right at me, flattening her tongue so she can take more of my length deep into her throat. When she pulls up, she flicks at the tip, an incredible sensation. At the same time, one of her hands cups my balls and plays with them while the other holds my cock steady at the base as she works it in and out of her delicate mouth. Fire spreads through my veins—pure, hot, unadulterated lust.

  God help me, I want her.

  It doesn’t take long before I warn her that I’m going to come, but she doesn’t stop. I shoot my load deep down her throat, and she keeps going, swallowing every last drop.

  “Fuck, girl. You're incredible,” I exclaim as she smiles and wipes her wet chin.

  She cuddles in close and wraps her arms around me. “Well, good morning to you, too.”

  I reach beneath the sheets for her hard, pink nipples, rolling them between my thumb and forefinger and tugging. Gently, I suck her hard nub into the warmth of my mouth, losing myself in a sea of emotions as her head falls back and her hips move with the rhythm of my tongue. Applying pressure to her swollen nub, I circle it over and over as I insert a finger and rub at her G-spot. Her moans encouraging me to keep going, she grabs my hair in one hand and pulls on her precious nipples with the other. Moving her pussy as if she’s fucking my face, she climaxes, releasing her delicious musky scent all over my face and tongue with a glorious moan.

  Breathing heavy, she grins down at me. “Yep. That’s my idea of a workout.”

  I laugh. “Agreed.”

  We finally get out of bed and work our way to the bathroom. “Too bad there isn’t enough room in the shower for two,” I tell her.

  “I saw your bathroom, you know. I think we could put all the partners in that shower.”

  “You could be right, but I’m not sure I want to see Emerson naked. She’s essentially my sister.”

  “She’s the only one you don’t want to see? I’m not sure I want to see any of my partners naked.”

  “I only have eyes for you.”

  Rolling her eyes, she tells me, “You’re too slick, and that means trouble.”

  “And here I thought you were the troublemaker.”

  Eventually, we settle down at opposite ends of the dining room table to work. I make coffee for both of us, making sure to add a hazelnut-flavored creamer to her cup.

  When I place a mug in front of her, she takes a deep smell and then a sip. “You’re too good for me.”

  I kiss her forehead. “Anything for you.”

  We finally get going when the phone rings from the front gate, alerting us to our delivery. The deck is almost complete.

  While they begin their installation, we move to the dining room to work. She settles into her seat, examining her e-mail and typing away. I have a conference call, though I wind up watching her while I talk to several members of my team. Never does she glance up and break her concentration. As she studies her computer screen, I see a crease between her brows that deepens at times. She’s beautiful.

  I admire everything about her, from the way the breeze blows her hair to the soft lilt to her voice. But what makes me fall head over heels for her is the way she deals with her clients and partners. She puts them at ease with her authority and confidence. They hang on her every word, and she always knows what to say.

  Her phone rings and she steps out of the room to take the call. I hear her laugh as she joins me once more.

  “You’ll never guess what the partners wanted to do. They wanted to come tonight.”

  “Are they coming?” Oh, please don’t let that happen. I have plans for us.

  “God no! They can come over tomorrow. We aren’t ready for guests, and… I want you a little longer to myself.”

  “Have I told you recently how much I love you?” I hug her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

  I should tell her that I have a business trip to Seattle next week. I’ll do my best to work it in, but I also want to assure her of my love for her. I know that she’s had a tough few months dealing with her mother’s rejection and I want her to know how much I love her.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Trey

  Except to go to the bathroom or take an occasional call, Sara’s hardly moved from the chair she sat in nine hours earlier. Dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she glances up to find me showered and dressed in pressed khaki pants and a dark blue gingham shirt.

  Eyes wide, she says, “You’re all dressed up.” She looks at her computer, then flicks her gaze back to me. “Oh! I’m sorry. My day got away from me. I promise I can be showered and ready to go in a few minutes.”

  “Take your time. I’ve ordered dinn
er in, so we aren’t going anywhere. I just wanted an excuse to not be in sweats all day.”

  She turns crimson. “I’m sorry. I have some nicer clothes. I’ll get changed.”

  “Again, don’t worry about it. You look good in everything.” I leave her to her routine and set up a small table in front of the fireplace with a nice tablecloth I found in town. I place the box with the sea glass bracelet and earrings on the table. The doorbell rings at exactly six, and I open the door to Sara’s friend.

  “Mackenzie. Thank you for delivering this. You’re making me look like a hero.”

  “No problem. I’m happy to help. I’ve included a few notes on prep, so I’ll get out of your way.”

  “Wait! Don’t you want to say something to Sara? Let me get her.”

  “Oh no, that isn’t necessary. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

  “I think she’ll be disappointed to know you were here and didn’t at least say hello.” I walk back toward the bathroom. “Sara? Mackenzie’s here. She delivered dinner, and I told her you’d be disappointed if you didn’t speak to her before she left.”

  “Really? You talked Mackenzie into making dinner? She’s an amazing chef, so we’re in for a treat.”

  Sara walks into the living room with her arms extended. “Mackenzie! You cooked for us? What did he promise you?”

  Mackenzie stretches out her arms to hug Sara. “Great to see you. Once he told me it was for you, I knew I had to get my old culinary skills out. I hope you like it.”

  “Are you kidding me? I know we’ll love it. When are you in the bakery tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be there at 5:00 a.m.”

  “Well, I promise to come by for coffee, a blueberry scone and a few minutes of your time.”

  Mackenzie gives Sara another hug and, just above a whisper, says, “This one may be a keeper. And he’s arm candy, too.”

  Sara stares at me. “Unfortunately he knows it.” She winks at me and my heart races.

  I plate the food, just finishing as Sara walks back in from seeing Mackenzie off. Her hair is down and full of soft curls around her face. She put on some makeup that nicely accents her eyes, and she’s in a muted green pair of silk pants with a beautiful pastel yellow sweater that compliments her tan. She looks like a present. And then I see them. She’s wearing beautiful high-heeled sandals that make me want to bend her over and unwrap her.

  “You’re staring.”

  “You look beautiful,” I tell her earnestly.

  She crosses her arms in front of herself. “You’re embarrassing me.”

  “I plan on lavishing you with all sorts of compliments tonight,” I say with a wicked smile.

  She shakes her head, giggling. “Okay. What did Mackenzie make us for dinner?”

  “We have oysters on the half shell, a mixed green salad, an abalone chowder, grilled halibut and for dessert—other than each other—a chocolate tart with homemade ice cream.”

  “You have no idea what a treat we’re in for.”

  We sit down and Sara sees the box. “What’s this?”

  “I saw this and thought of you, and I wanted to thank you for setting me up with Jim and Carol to stay here.”

  “I didn’t do that much.”

  “Open it.” I watch as she removes the simple ribbon and opens the box. Her eyes light up and a big smile crosses her face.

  “I love it! How did you know I love sea glass?”

  “It reminds me of your eyes.”

  She gives me a warm embrace that quickly leads to a long and deep kiss. My erection becomes obvious and she pants, “If we don’t stop, all of Mackenzie’s hard work will be for nothing.”

  Sara’s right, our meal is amazing. We spend dinner talking about our life journeys and what we want out of life.

  “You’ve made ‘Sexiest Man’ lists and ‘Most Eligible’ lists. What do you want?” she asks.

  I’m surprised by her question. No one other than my family has ever asked that of me. “Well, I’m not sure I want to run the family business my whole life. I may not have a choice, but I know I want a family, and I want to live outside of the limelight.”

  “All the attention must be tough, but you must like all the girls swooning.”

  Thoughtfully, I share, “I did when I was younger. But I got my heart broken a few times.”

  “Wait! You got your heart broken?”

  “Yes. Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “Because you’ve always had a bevy of women chasing you.”

  “True, but I learned quickly that they wanted something from me. They weren’t interested in me.” Sara is visibly surprised by my admission. “Do you remember Jennifer Martin, the actress I dated?”

  “Of course. I was in grad school and watched that like one would a train wreck.”

  “Well, I liked her. She was honest and vulnerable, or so I thought. In reality, she used me to up her profile and get parts in movies. Thankfully the movies were all flops, so I’m glad about karma.”

  “Okay, I buy that. You did date her for six years though, so there must’ve been something else for her than the notoriety.”

  I’m humiliated that she’s pointed out my biggest embarrassment, so I steer the conversation away from Jennifer. “I can’t deny that, over the years, I’ve slept with a lot of women. However, I do have rules. Always wear a condom, never leave the condom behind, never bring her back to my place—or my parents’, for that matter—never spend the night, never film , and most important, make sure she’s satisfied.”

  She glances down and blushes. “You’re very good at the satisfying. And we’ve always spent the nights together.”

  I reach across the table and grasp her hand. “Sara, you’re different than anyone I’ve dated in a long time. You don’t care about my family, you don’t care about my checkbook, and you don’t need anything from me.”

  “I don’t know about that. I love your family. CeCe is the sister I never had and I love her, and I think I do want something from you. I want to be respected, valued and adored.”

  “I want to do all that.”

  Gazing at me through the candlelight, she whispers, “I believe that.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Sara

  I wake before Trey and listen to his rhythmic breathing, thinking about our romantic night. I adore the sea glass bracelet and earrings. I’m sure I have several things I can wear them with.

  Trey took wonderful care of me both mentally and physically. After dinner, we sat together by the fire and snuggled in close. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life.

  I want to stay in bed together with him all day, but I know the partners will be arriving early. Pulling on my yoga pants and a sweatshirt, I stop by the kitchen to start a large pot of coffee, then walk out to the new deck. Trey did an amazing job. He hid the patio kitchen well so people walking the public beach won’t see it, but also managed to place the patio in such a way that it captures the waterfront view perfectly.

  I hear the sliding glass door open behind me, and then his arms wrap around me. I feel safe and secure in his embrace. He brings me in tight and kisses the top of my head. “Good morning.”

  I hold his arms, and together we watch the daybreak. Sunlight fills the sky, pure scattered light ambitiously illuminating each crevice of the land. Sparrows chirp an explicit background melody. The trees shine as if they’re wearing golden crowns, and the vast ocean is unable to absorb the bright sparks of the sun. The waves race among each other to reach the horizon from where the mighty sun appears.

  Happiness fills my soul, and I turn and kiss him deeply. When our tongues touch, it feels as if I’m being zapped with a thousand watts of electricity. It’s hot, raw and aggressive. My pulse increases as I arch my back and press my breasts into him, showing they’re aching to be caressed, licked and sucked. I growl against his lips in appreciation of what my body is doing all on its own.

  Pressing into him, I feel the rhythmic beat inside his chest. He
fits so well with me, including his cock, which is nestled at the apex of my thighs. I’m under an attack of the most erotic kind. What we’re doing is even more risqué, because people are beginning to walk the beach and we’re essentially in public.

  “If we don’t stop, we’ll be greeting the partners in our birthday suits,” he murmurs.

  “I know you’re right, but”—pointing to his obvious erection, I tell him with a sultry smile—“someone thinks it doesn’t matter.”

  He throws his head back in a deep and hearty laugh.

  “Hopefully he can behave himself for the next twelve hours. If he can, he’ll be happily rewarded.”

  We spend the morning preparing. The brisket’s in the oven to slow-cook, the ribs are in the smoker with Trey’s “secret dry rub,” and we made the coleslaw. We make a quick run into town to hit the bakery for our order. The bell chimes as I walk in. “Hello?”

  Mackenzie comes from the back, wiping her hands on a towel attached to her apron. “Hey! How was dinner last night?”

  “You completely outdid yourself,” I gush.

  “Truly one of the best meals in my life,” Trey adds.

  “You’re both very kind. I have your coffee and scones. Can you stay for a few?”

  “Just a few. We have all the partners in my firm coming over for the afternoon, and I still need to get a few things done before they arrive.” Glancing at Trey, I grin. “But I may be back next week.”

  He blanches as I say that. Something’s up. I thought he wanted to tell me something last night, but he never did.

  “Great. I love when you’re in town and can visit.”

  We spend some time catching up, but then I see the time and tell her we have to go.

  As we head out, I give her a tight hug, and she whispers in my ear, “He’s a keeper. You deserve someone who adores you like he seems to.”

  I smile. “Give Paul a big hug for me and tell him to hurry up and make me an aunt.” I wave goodbye as we head back to our car loaded with fresh rolls and desserts.