Skyscrapers & Camelot (Renovate Book 1)

by Mindy Carter

  “What’s a castle without a princess?” he whispers in my ear.

  “I’m still waiting on my tiara.”

  He removes his arms from around me and backs away, pulling something out of his jacket. I’m instantly curious what he’s hiding.

  “You mean one of these?” He places the object he’s holding on top of my head.

  He came through and made me an honorary princess. The tiara is encrusted with diamonds and wraps around my head.

  “Cat got your tongue?”

  He has just given me a tiara meant for a queen or, should I say, a princess, and that’s exactly how he makes me feel, like royalty.

  I will take it on one condition—that he’s my prince.

  “You are spoiling me, and you don’t need to,” I say. I appreciate all of this, but I would be just as happy without it as long as I have him.

  “You ask, I deliver.” There is no doubt that he does.

  I place a kiss on his cheek.

  Grabbing the box, he removes the telescope then the lens cap. He shows me where to look, and it sure is better than the little, red telescope. I swear I can see the little green men on the moon, and the stars are as clear as glass. They sparkle in the night sky, a picture of beauty.

  This may seem like a silly hobby to most, but it has always excited me. Keegan doesn’t think it’s silly or nerdy. He’s just like me—passionate about the stars. It holds a special meaning to both of us. Our love of the stars has inspired our passion for other things.

  “This really is top of the line. It’s amazing, Keegan.”

  I remove the telescope from my eye and hand it over to him. He takes it willingly, and I wrap my arms around him and close my eyes as he looks up at the same stars. I’m relaxed here with him. It’s simple and normal. It’s us in a nutshell.

  I don’t know how long we are on top of the castle, staring at the sky, but the air becomes chilly, and I start to shiver. I didn’t think we were going to take a late night stroll, so I didn’t think to bring a jacket. Keegan notices and, the selfless gentleman he is, offers me his coat. He holds it up for me, and I place my arms through the sleeves. It swallows me up. I’m much warmer, and better yet, it smells like him.

  Grabbing the telescope and placing it back in the box, we walk hand in hand through the park back to his car. Yet another unforgettable evening he has given me and it’s not even over yet. I’m pretty sure the good stuff is yet to come.

  We take the scenic route through the city. I have no clue how he can even tolerate driving, though. It would make me a nervous wreck, but Keegan does it effortlessly. When we arrive at Park in the Sky, he parks in the garage and opens the door for me.

  I step out of the car, and he closes the door behind me. Staring at me like he wants to devour me, he pushes me against the car. Then he begins kissing down my neck to my cleavage before he takes a handful of my breast and squeezes. I let out a moan, feeling his stiff cock harden at my center.

  He kisses me on the lips, slipping his tongue in my mouth. I return the kiss as deeply as he’s giving it, placing my hands underneath his shirt and feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen. When I move my hands to unzip his pants, he stops me.

  “As much as I want to throw you on the hood of my car and fuck you into next week, we can’t. There are cameras, and while I’m sure security would love our little porn show, I don’t want anyone seeing what’s mine.”

  I nod in agreement, knowing he’s right. “You drive me crazy, Keegan James.”

  He looks at me with a sparkle in his eye. “And I can’t wait for you to show me how much.”

  I plan on showing him the minute we step into his penthouse.

  We travel in perfect sync, holding hands as we enter the building. You know that feeling when everyone is watching you, like staring at you in slow motion? That’s exactly how I feel right now, like everyone is privy to what just transpired in the garage, and they know what we will be doing in about three more minutes.

  Keegan waves to the man at the front desk. He wishes us a good evening, not even knowing the half of it.

  Keegan pulls me close, putting his arm around me as the elevator doors close, and I let out a sigh of relief that we aren’t under anymore gazing eyes. Well, at least that I know of.

  I start counting the seconds as the elevator rises above the city. Once the doors open, the fire I have been holding inside explodes. I grab Keegan, pulling us into his foyer, kissing him hard on the mouth. He immediately removes his jacket from my arms, and I start unbuttoning his white shirt. How can one color drive me wild when he wears it?

  The unbuttoning is taking too much time, so with frustration, I put all my strength into ripping it open. The tiny buttons causing me so much distress fly through the air as I pull the shirt down his arms.

  “Shit, that was hot,” Keegan whispers.

  He grabs me and lifts me in his arms, continuing the kiss I started. I don’t know how we make it without bumping into anything on the way to the bedroom.

  Light filters in from the buildings outside, casting a soft glow in the room. He places me in a standing position and immediately removes my shirt. Then he’s unbuttoning my pants and pulling them down with my underwear. Bending to the floor, he removes them swiftly, taking my shoes with them.

  I remember he’s wearing too many clothes, so I get to unbuckling his belt. He helps me along by pulling down his pants and kicking them off.

  I put my hand under the band of his underwear, reaching down to grasp his warm, rock hard cock, stroking him.

  “That feels so good.”

  My inner self is pleased that I have this power over him. It’s time to lose his boxer briefs.

  In that moment of bending down, I decide to do something bold. With his cock standing at attention, I grab it with both hands before pulling it to my mouth. I kiss the tip and blow on him lightly.

  “Oh, my God,” he gasps.

  I swirl my tongue around the tip, moistening the head. Then I open my mouth wide, taking him all the way in, as far as my mouth is capable of. I suck as hard as I can and concentrate on not using my teeth. I have only done this a few times before, so I want to make it good for him.

  He grabs my hair and tugs on my long locks while I bob my head up and down, sucking and swirling. He begins moving his hips back and forth, literally fucking my mouth. I’m so turned on right now at this act that I can feel the wetness dripping from my pussy.

  “I need to fuck you before I lose it,” he demands. He lifts me, grabbing me by the waist. “Put those sexy legs around me, beautiful.” I do as I’m asked, remembering I’m still wearing my tiara. I go to remove it to avoid scratching it, but he stops me. “Don’t you dare take that crown off your head.”

  I halt and look into his eyes. Grabbing him by the sides of his face, I begin another assault on his lips as he backs us toward the bed, but when I think my back is going to meet the soft, satin sheets of the bed, I am shocked by cool glass.

  “I’ve been thinking of doing this to you forever. I want to take you with the city behind us.” He kisses my neck, and I let out a loud moan.

  He lifts me toward his hard, waiting cock and slips himself inside of me. He’s finally where I want him to be, where I need him to be. He’s inside my body and also my soul.

  He always starts making love to me slow, holding back until he can’t take anymore. It doesn’t take long for him to slam into me. I can hear my back slapping on the window from his roughness, and it feels so good.

  “Let it out,” he whispers. “Let me hear what I do to you.”

  “You are the best I’ll ever have,” I shout. My words do something feral to him, and his movements become more desperate. I begin moving against him just as hard, just as desperate. I can feel my body start to shake, so close to orgasm. “I love you so much, Keegan James.”

  “Aimee Brennan, you are the love of my life. I’ll love you forever.” That declaration pushes me over the edge, and I scream his name, my orgasm hitt
ing me as I explode all over him.

  He pounds into me faster and harder until he stills, coming inside of me in a wave that seems to go on forever before both of us are spent and trying to catch our breath, our bodies slick with sweat.

  After our heartbeats return to normal, he slowly moves us back toward the bed, laying us down, our bodies still one. This is the only time I feel like I’m complete, when our bodies our linked together.

  He shifts his body weight, and that’s when I feel his loss as he slips out of me, lying nose to nose with me as our heads share one pillow.

  “Now I know why all those girls wanted you in high school,” I say.

  “What we have between us doesn’t compare to anyone before you. This is an entirely different level, and I’ve never been in love with anyone until you. I’ve only always loved you, Aimee. I hope to God you believe that.”

  I don’t know what to believe. What we are doing here is a dream come true, but I’m still afraid. Although this is happiness to me, it also scares me to death.

  “We need to start remembering condoms, Keegan.” I change the subject so he can’t read what I’m thinking.

  He looks at me. “Or we don’t and whatever happens, happens.”

  I’m not sure he’s thinking clearly. What he’s proposing is insane and definitely not a surprise I’m ready for.

  “I think all this sex is messing with your brain cells. You’re talking crazy.” I can see a flash of hurt on his face. I don’t want to hurt him, but we just found each other again.

  “I’m thinking of a little girl with long, brown hair who is the spitting image of her mother.” He’s serious, and I pray it’s merely the sex we just had that is talking.

  “I love you, Keegan, and I hope that, when we are both ready, we can take the next step, but we just found each other. Don’t rush things. I don’t plan on going anywhere,” I plead.

  He places a delicate kiss on my forehead. “The way I see it, I found you when you were six years old. I’m not rushing anything. And don’t be scared, because I’m not going anywhere, ever. It’s inevitable, Aimee. You will be Mrs. Keegan James; you will carry our children; and we will grow old together.”

  He’s got it all figured out. I can tell he’s put some serious thought into this. I’m not going to argue with him, because part of me wants exactly the same thing.

  “Can I take my tiara off now?”

  His smile expands as he carefully removes it from my head. Leaning over me, he places it on the nightstand next to me and lies back down next to me. I move closer to him, kissing his chest then placing my head on it. He runs his fingers through my hair while I draw tiny hearts with my fingers along his chest, the soothing movements of one another sending us to sleep.

  When I wake alone in the bed, I notice it’s still dark outside. Pulling the sheet around me, I glance at the clock, noting it’s four a.m., then get out of bed to search for him. The first place I look is his office, and there he is, sitting just in his boxer briefs at his drafting desk, drawing.

  I take him in, hunched over his desk, his silhouette one of beauty. I could stand here admiring him work all night.

  I quietly creep over to peek at what he’s working on. The fine lines of the design he’s creating intrigue me. Is this his special project he mentioned to me during our interview?

  “I couldn’t sleep,” he says. He doesn’t turn around, only continues at his task, his back muscles moving with his arms as he draws.

  I place my arm around his chest and chin on his shoulder, still holding the sheet I’m wearing with my free hand. He pauses and breathes me in then continues working.

  “You have a lot of talent, Keegan,” I whisper.

  He stills and tilts his head against mine. “It took me a long time to hone my skill. It relaxes me and helps me focus.”

  I can only imagine the kind of pressure he is under every day. Running his firm and staying on top isn’t an easy feat, especially at his age. It’s times like these that I can see the stress it all causes him, and it breaks my heart.

  “I am so very proud of you. You are doing good things, Keegan. I’m truly honored to watch you work.”

  He relaxes, a long breath he must have been holding in escaping. “I don’t deserve you, not one bit,” he tells me.

  I can’t believe, after everything, he still thinks he’s not worthy.

  “It’s me who doesn’t deserve you.” A tiny tear escapes my eye and falls onto his chest.

  He turns around, looking at me with sadness, and grabs me, pulling me on his lap. “You are the other part of my soul, always have been and always will be,” he confesses.

  Picking me up, he carries me back to the bedroom, laying me into the soft comfort of his bed. I have lost the sheet, and he’s lost the one piece of clothing he had on. He hovers over me, placing soft kisses down my neck.

  Taking his finger, he slowly touches a path down to my belly button. “Aimee, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but your true beauty is right here.” His finger finds its way back up and taps my chest, right over my heart.

  The most beautiful man in the world loves me, and I am going to prove to him how much that means to me.

  I grab his face, placing a soulful kiss to his lips. We continue to make love, opening our hearts to the love that only becomes stronger every day. I don’t ever want to be without him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  You know when you are nervous to call someone? You dial his or her number, and as it rings, you can hear your heart pounding, while you pray voice mail will pick up. Well, that didn’t happen when I called Keegan’s mother. I had this fabulous idea that I was excited about, but when push came to shove, I got cold feet.

  When Keegan drove me home after yet another amazing night, he gave me his mother’s number. His father and mother are due to arrive in town in a few days, so I needed to talk to her before they left.

  Mr. and Mrs. James moved to Tampa a couple years after Keegan left for college. With an empty nest and Mr. James’s early retirement, they sold their house and moved south. The last time I even spoke to Mrs. James was when she gave me my high school graduation card. Despite Keegan’s absence from my life, they invited me over for dinner, but I always politely declined. It just didn’t feel right at the time, but now, thinking back, what would have been the harm? They were always so good to me.

  One, two, three rings. How long does it take before it goes to voice mail?

  “Hello,” says a familiar voice.

  “Hi, Mrs. James, it’s Aimee Brennan. Keegan gave me your number.”

  There is a pause, during which I hope the call wasn’t disconnected, before she responds, “Aimee, I can’t believe it’s you.”

  Relief washes over me. She sounds happy to hear from me.

  “It’s me or at least that’s what it says on my driver’s license.” There goes my awful jokes that only come out when I’m nervous.

  “How have you been? Keegan tells me you’re writing for Framework. I read your interview with my boy, and it was fantastic,” she tells me proudly.

  He really has spoken to her about me, not that it surprises me. Keegan was always close to both of his parents.

  “Thank you, Mrs. James. That was the most difficult interview I’ve ever had to do. I was so embarrassed when Keegan acted like he had no clue who I was.” I have always felt comfortable speaking with Mrs. James. I have no idea why I was nervous in the first place.

  “Oh, dear, Keegan could never forget you.”

  Well, when you don’t hear from your best friend for eight years, you tend to assume they have. I’m not going to go into that with her, though. That’s in the past, and I want to move forward with him.

  There is a stretch of semi-awkward silence after her comment.

  “So, Mr. James is turning the big five-o?” She laughs, and I continue, “I wanted to put together a collage of pictures of him for his party. I’d love your help if you’re interested? What I w
as thinking was a montage of pictures from birth until now, some with you, some with the boys, and all four of you, as well.”

  I love doing things like this. I wouldn’t consider myself a crafty person, but I think this would add a little something unique to his party.

  “Aimee, this is such a wonderful idea. I will go through what I have and bring them with me. We should get together in a few days so I can give you the pictures. I’d also love to catch up.”

  “Yes, I’d love that. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to see you, Mrs. James. I’ve missed you.”

  “Oh, Aimee, we have missed you, too. It was only a matter of time before you two found each other. Keegan is the happiest I’ve seen in such a long time.”

  So he’s been unhappy. I am suddenly sad for him. Hearing that breaks my heart, but truth be told, I was always unhappy without him, too. You live your life as best you can, but when you are missing a piece of yourself, it’s hard to be completely happy.

  We say our good-byes and make plans to meet up for lunch in a few days.

  “Was that my mom?” Kaleb, who apparently is a stealth ninja, startles me.

  “The one and only,” I answer, smiling.

  “She didn’t want to talk to her favorite son?”

  “No, Keegan isn’t here, but don’t worry; I’m sure you come in a close second.” I laugh because he set himself up for that one.

  He pinches me on my arm.

  “Ouch.” I pinch him back, and he jumps away from me. “You want to play, Kaleb?”

  That pinch hurt, and if I have a bruise, I’m going to kick him where it counts.

  “I’ll pass. I’ll save all my play time for my Reesey pie.”

  They have moved from sex crazed to adorable pet names. This relationship is getting serious. I have never seen Reesey pie this serious ever. I’m happy she’s with someone I trust who cares for her like Kaleb does.