“You don’t have to do that. I already told Holly that we need to focus on hers and Micah’s first,” I inform her.
“Oh no,” she chimes. “I can multitask.” She smiles at me.
I just nod my head, because I don’t want to put a damper on her plans. “Thank you.”
I turn around looking for Slade when I see him over by our luggage talking to Tate. They look to be in deep conversation. Slade has his arms crossed over his chest and his legs are spread wide, giving off a threatening stance. Whereas Tate has his hands in his front pockets of his worn looking blue jeans, as his chain hangs from his back to front pocket. He’s leaning up against the luggage belt with one black boot crossed over the other. He looks to be bored as hell as Slade continues to go on and on about something.
“I don’t want to go back to work tomorrow,” Courtney says, coming up behind me. I turn to face her.
“Me either,” I sigh.
“Then quit.”
“I can’t do that,” I respond.
She places an arm over my shoulder. “Why? It’s not because of money.”
I shake my head. “No. Money doesn’t have anything to do with it.” I just need to keep myself busy, although I hate my job at the bank; it’s so boring. It is still my job, and I won’t quit.
Courtney pulls her arm off of my shoulders and turns to face me. “There are other places you can work, Sis.”
“I know.” But until I decide what I want to do with my life, I will continue to work at the bank.
“Your mother left you that money…” She trails off when I narrow my eyes on her and throws her hands up in the air. “You could use that money and start your own business like she always wanted you two to do together,” she finishes.
I place my hands on my hips. I quit thinking of that business the day I left after my high school graduation. “That dream died a long time ago, Court.” It comes out more hateful than I meant it to.
She lets out a breath. “She would want you to be happy.”
I look her in the eyes as I play with my engagement ring on my finger. “I am happy.”
She looks as if she wants to say something, but she just hangs her head and turns to walk away.
“Ready to go home, Angel?” Slade wraps an arm around me, distracting me from the conversation.
I look up at him, and he gives me a small smile, but I can tell from his stiff body that he’s fuming about something.
I offer him a smile in return. “Yes.”
*****
Once we arrive home, I run over to the neighbors and grab our puppy, Peaches. After spending several minutes thanking them and trying to pay them, which of course they refused, I walk back over to our house and place her down in the hallway before I walk into our bedroom. As soon as I enter, Slade grabs my hips and spins me around. I place my hands against his chest and grasp his shirt to help stable myself on my heels. He pulls me closely, slamming my body into his. My breath quickens with the memory of what he promised on the plane. I love it when he drives me wild, and he knows it.
I give him a small smile as I look up into his baby blue eyes. They roam my face like they’re looking for something, and it reminds me of when he woke me this morning.
“Slade, what were you worried about this morning when you woke me up? Did something happen?” I ask.
If my question catches him off guard, he doesn’t show it. It’s almost as if he was expecting me to ask.
“Nothing is wrong.” He reaches up and pushes a stray piece of hair behind my ear as he brushes my question off.
“Was there something wrong?” I continue to prod.
He shakes his head. “Can I not just want to make love to you?” he asks with a frown.
We don’t make love often. We both like the more intense ‘dirty play’ which is what I have come to call it. But it had nothing to do with the fact that we made love. It had to do with his words and body language. I can read him very well, and something was definitely wrong.
“No. It’s not…” He places his finger over my lips and quiets me. He then leans down and gives me a deep kiss.
“Lie on the bed,” he says, effectively ending the conversation.
I lie down on the bed, and he crawls up my body and straddles me. I reach up, placing my hands in his hair, and pull his lips down to mine. I let out a moan when he runs a hand up my outer thigh over my jeans to my hip. He presses his erection against me, and my hands tighten. He pulls his lips away and reaches up to remove my hands from his hair. He holds them in front of my chest as his eyes move from mine down to my hand. I look at my left hand and watch him slowly run his thumb over my engagement ring.
My eyes move back up to watch the expression on his face. It holds something I can’t quite place. His eyes are soft, yet he’s frowning. “What is it?” I ask, worried once again.
His frown turns into a soft smile. “I still can’t believe you’re going to be my wife.” He shakes his head as if in awe. “I’m going to be your husband,” he says quietly to himself. “All that worrying…” he whispers.
My eyes look from his hands holding mine up to his eyes. “Worrying?” I think back to him in our hotel room right before he asked me to marry him. “You were nervous,” I say softly.
Was that what this morning had been about?
He was afraid that I was going to change my mind and walk away from him? Never!
His eyes flicker up to mine, and he says, “I wasn’t nervous. I was terrified.”
“Why?” Did he really think that I would tell him no? That I’m not serious when I say I love him?
He lets out a long breath. “I have always had a plan.” He pauses. “You blew everything I ever wanted out of the water when I met you. You changed my world, my wants, and my needs. I would give up everything I have for you, Angel. I tell you that you are my forever and the rest of my life was hanging on your answer.” He looks up at me. “We hadn’t talked of marriage, and we haven’t been together for very long. I know you love me, but I also remember you telling me once that ‘no two people love the same’. I’ve known since I met you that I wanted nothing but you. I wasn’t positive that you loved me the way that I love you.”
I pull my hands out of his and place them on either side of his face. “I never knew what love was until I met you, Slade. I promise; never doubt how much I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” It’s true that we had never talked of marriage. I even tried to convince myself that I would never get married. Did I want that with Slade? Absolutely. Did I think he wanted that? No.
He gives me a big smile, and I feel all the worries of this morning leave me. “And you shall, Angel.”
He takes my hands and moves them to hold them down on either side of my head as he gets that mischievous smile on his face. “Now what was it that I whispered to you earlier on the airplane?”
“Which part?” I ask arching my back up to his chest. “The teasing? Licking? Begging?” I lick my lips. “Or the part where you are gonna tie me down and drive me crazy?”
“All of it, baby. I want all of it.” And I know he means more than what I just asked. He wants me forever, and I won’t give him anything less.
He releases me and climbs off the bed. He goes into the closet and returns with a scarf and the handcuffs.
I arch an eyebrow at him as he just stands by the bed staring down at me with an expressionless face. “What are you waiting for?” I finally ask.
“You.” He nods his head at me. “Undress,” he orders in that sexy deep voice.
“You don’t want to do it?” I ask with a frown.
He shakes his head with a smirk. “Remember how I told you that you were going to be begging?” I nod. “This is just the beginning. Now. Undress yourself.”
I take in a deep breath as I get off the bed. I undress myself rather quickly. I half expect him to tell me to ‘stop’ or ‘go slower’. I’m not trying to be sexy, I just wanna do what he says.
Once I’
m completely naked I lie back on the bed and look up at him.
He tosses the handcuffs, and they land beside me. He then places the scarf beside me as well. “Put them on,” he demands as he stands there still dressed.
I look at the handcuffs then back to him. “You want me to put them on?” I ask slowly. My heart beats frantically in my chest as it rises and falls quickly.
He nods and crosses his arms over his chest. It has me wondering what in the hell he’s thinking.
I sit up and grab the cuffs. I look down at them as the heavy, cold metal sits in my hands.
“I would suggest placing the blindfold on first,” he says making me jump just a bit at his hard tone.
I look up at him, and I can tell in his eyes that he’s trying to hold back a smile at how nervous I am all of a sudden. And he wasn’t suggesting anything. That was his way of telling me what to do.
I swallow nervously and pick up the long dark gray scarf in my hands. Very slowly I place it over my eyes and tie it tightly in the back. I sigh and place my hands on my thighs when all I see is total darkness. My chest continues to rise and fall quickly, and I throb between my thighs.
“Now the cuffs,” he orders.
I turn my head to look to the side of the bed and speak. “I can’t see anything. How am I going to put them on?” I ask placing my hands on my hips. I’m starting to get irritated.
I suck in a breath when the cold metal lands on my legs. “Turn onto your stomach.” He continues giving me orders. “And then cuff your hands behind your back. Don’t make me tell you again.”
I tighten my legs and almost moan at how much I want him inside of me already. His voice. His commands. He’s torturing me, yet making me wet with excitement of the unknown.
I place one cuff around my right wrist and then roll over onto my stomach. It takes me a few tries to get the other one on. My heart beats fast, and I’m panting trying not to look like an idiot. He’s probably laughing at me, but I get it done.
I let out a shaky breath and try to calm my breathing down. With no sight and my hands now cuffed behind my back, I’m trying to hear what he’s doing. When several seconds tick by, and I hear nothing, I speak. “What are you doing?”
I hear him walk to the other side of the bed. It sounds like he sits down in the chair that sits in the far corner over by the tall dresser. “Exactly what I said I was going to do,” he says casually. “Have you begging. The part I didn’t mention is that I want you so fucking wet with need that you come the second I finally decide to touch you.”
“So, you’re just going to leave me like this?” I ask pulling on the cuffs.
He chuckles, and it sounds evil. “I want to watch you as you lay there helpless. You can’t move, you can’t see. All you can do is imagine what I’m going to do to you.” He pauses, and I let out a long breath. “Let your imagination run wild, Angel,” he adds, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice.
Oh shit! This is most definitely going to be different.
*****
SLADE
Monday morning comes way too quickly. I rush into my office trying to fix my tie, since I half-assed it in my car on the way here.
I’m pretty sure waking up with my cock in Angel’s mouth was her retaliation for what I put her through last night. She knows I can’t function when she wakes me up like that.
Waking up with her mouth tightly wrapped around my cock does amazing things for my mood, but it also makes me want to be a lazy son of a bitch. She literally drains me, and my head is in the gutter the rest of the day. Work was the last thing on my mind this morning.
And of course she didn’t protest when I held her down and ate her for breakfast either. Then she jumped me in the shower, wanting to have ‘actual sex’ is how she announced it. When I told her we couldn’t, that I was already late, she promised it would be a quickie. And I swear that woman has no idea what a ‘quickie’ really is.
Just as I take a seat at my desk, my office phone rings.
“Slade Long,” I say, picking it up and frantically shuffling around papers on my desk. I’m usually more organized than this.
“Meet in the conference room in five.” My father’s voice is on the other line.
“Okay,” I reply before hanging up.
I give up on the mess of my desk and reach into the pocket of my black slacks to pull out my cell. I smile as I look at my screensaver and see the picture of Angel and me in Central Park. I’m sitting on a bench and she is standing behind it with her hands wrapped around my shoulders. She looks so beautiful. The snow on the ground makes her look even more beautiful in her white button-down jacket and dark gray scarf. They make her green eyes look like two jewels. I slide my screen over, scroll down to Angel, and start typing her a text.
Me: I’m going to be hard all day thinking about my wakeup call this morning.
She responds before I can tuck it back in my pocket.
Angel: Is your dick as hard as my pussy is wet?
I groan.
Me: Don’t talk like that. I have to go into a meeting with my father. What am I supposed to do with my dick? It’s already standing at attention thinking of that hot mouth and tight pussy of yours.
Angel: Aww, poor baby. If I was there I would take care of that ‘problem’ for you.
I throw my phone down on my desk and lean back in my chair. I let out a long sigh running a hand over my face. I think I have turned her into a sex machine. I swear, I can’t keep up with her.
My cock twitches behind my dark dress pants telling my mind to shut the fuck up, to give it to her as much as she wants it and then some.
My phone beeps, and I lean forward to pick it up.
Angel: How about, let your imagination run wild...
Yep. She’s retaliating alright.
Angel: I bet you’re thinking of me, on my knees. Your hands tightly knotted in my hair as you…
I can’t read anymore. I exit out of the message and pick up my office phone. I dial her work number.
“Central Bank. This is Samantha Hall. How may I help you?” she answers, and I can hear the smile in her voice. She knows it’s me calling.
“Stop doing that,” I snap, and she laughs. “For the love of God, please,” I beg of her.
Her laughter gets louder. “You are in so much trouble,” I warn. “I was being serious, Angel,” I snap readjusting my hard-on.
“Oh, I was too,” she says no longer laughing. “How about lunch? Would you like me to bring you lunch, sweetheart?”
I can tell by the sultry tone in her voice she doesn’t mean food. “Yes.”
“What would you like?”
I sigh. “Just you, Angel. Just bring your hot little ass to my office.”
“I’ll be there at twelve thirty. I love you,” she says before she hangs up.
I slam the phone down and take a few deep breaths. Twelve thirty, I can make it until then.
Leaving my cell on the desk I stand up and try to walk off this painful erection on the way to the conference room.
“Man I’m so glad we are about to go on another vacation,” Micah says as he enters the big conference room. He fiddles with his black tie before he sits down beside me.
“What? Vegas is like three weeks away.” Or is it two? I can’t keep track of time these days. I’m lucky that I even remembered today was Monday and I needed to come to work.
“You don’t understand, but you will.” He laughs but it holds no humor. “While we were in New York, all Holly talked about was you proposing.” I’m surprised she was able to keep it a secret. “Then as soon as you did, all she has talked about is our wedding again. She keeps asking me what I think.” He throws his hands up in the air. “I don’t fucking know, they’re just napkins. Why do they have to be a certain color, or have a little design on them, or...” He pulls on the collar of his dark gray button up.
I place my hand on his shoulder. “Calm down,” I say trying not to laugh at him.“If it doesn’t matter th
en just pick something to make her happy.”
He looks at me, his dark blue eyes wild-eyed. “You just wait.” He shakes a finger at me. “It’s a test. It’s all a fucking test. They want you to pick what they want without telling you. If you pick the wrong thing you get asked a million questions like ‘why you don’t like that one’ or ‘do you even care’? You want to say ‘not really’ but that will just start an even bigger fight.”
I can’t hold back my laughter anymore. He gets less and less like my brother every day. I love him this way just as much the other way. He just has never seemed so unraveled.
“Quit messing with your tie,” I say yanking the silk black tie out of his hands. “Why are you so fidgety?” I question.
He places his hands on the table and sighs. “I just need some sleep.”
“Okay boys.” Our father enters the conference room, getting our attention. He’s in total business mode, dressed in an expensive dark Armani suit with a silver tie and shiny black shoes to match. Seeing him in street clothes, like he was while we were in New York, still takes some getting used to. Even growing up I always saw him in a suit.
He strolls to the head of the table and pulls out the seat. He sits down and links his hands together before placing them on the table. He clears his throat and then looks up at us. “I just got off the phone with Mayor O’Hare, and I have officially hired his youngest son, Braxton, here at the firm.”
“Were you ever considering not to?” I ask sitting up straighter in my chair.
We’d had this talk while we were in New York. My father had received a phone call that Braxton, one of my best friends from high school, Parker O’Hare’s, little brother, was graduating with a law degree from Princeton a semester early. His father, the mayor of St. Louis and also a friend of my father’s from way back, called asking him for a job.
“Well, we really don’t need him.” He shrugs. “But after some thought I have decided that it is a great idea.”
“When does he start?” Micah asks.
“He will be here tomorrow.”
That surprises me. “That’s quick,” I point out the obvious.
The UN Series Complete Box Set Page 84