The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1)

by Bree Callahan

  Charity: See ya!

  Charity skimmed through their messages, with each one bringing a smile to her face. One thing was for sure. He knew how to distract her from her problems. “Now, what am I going to wear?” She jumped up from her couch and hurried into her bedroom. It was never too early to decide on the important things.

  ***

  Derek looked up at the third person he interviewed on Friday and tried to give her the best smile he could. “I appreciate your time, Mrs. Andrews.” He shook her hand, but even he could sense the difference in shaking her hand from shaking the hands of others. He wasn’t in the mood anymore to do yet another failed interview.

  “Thank you, Mayor Werlington.” He cringed when she once again called him by the wrong last name. She left his office, and he stared at a stack of four more resumes he had to interview before the day was over. It was no use.

  He dialed up Amanda’s extension. “This is Amanda.”

  “Hey…do me a favor,” he started.

  “Of course. What is it? You need a few more applicants to pick through?”

  He laughed. “Uh…no. Quite the opposite, actually. I need you to call the four people that are set up for this interview this afternoon, thank them for their time, and apologize, but I won’t be interviewing them.”

  The middle-aged woman squealed on the other end of the phone. “Does that mean you finally found a suitable match? You were so picky that I just assumed no one would meet your standards. This is great news.”

  “Are you finished?” he asked, waiting for her to finish her tirade.

  She laughed. “Yes. I’m finished.”

  “I have made my choice, and I will call her later this afternoon. Thank you!” He hung up the phone and pulled out the only two resumes left in a stack of resumes he had received. They both were so different in that one brought a ton of experience, as she worked in Washington State for a Mayor, but she didn’t seem to answer the questions like he’d expect from a professional. On the other hand…Charity had no experience in being an assistant and yet she flawlessly answered questions in the way he wanted. He was comfortable around her and could see himself building a working relationship with her. He grabbed the one resume and stared at it, before tossing it in the garbage. He would ask Amanda to call her later. He had no doubt this was the right decision for him.

  A knock at his door, caused him to take a moment away from the position he was left in. “Come in, Jesse,” he called, before actually looking up.

  Jesse laughed. “How did you know it was me?”

  Derek grinned. “Well, I told you I was making my decision today, and you seem to always pop up at the most inconvenient times. I just figured.”

  “So…did you make that decision?”

  Derek nodded. “It wasn’t easy either,” he confessed.

  “Dare I ask…what’d you decide?”

  Derek shrugged. “You may ask, but I shouldn’t tell you.” He grinned, seeing the obvious irritation on his friend’s face.

  “What do you mean you shouldn’t tell me? Clearly, I’m your best friend, and it’s been bothering me…”

  He stopped talking when Derek lifted an eyebrow. “That right there is something so confusing. Why does it matter who my next assistant is?”

  Jesse smirked. “Is she going to be at least single?”

  The moment Jesse asked the question, Derek started to gain the idea of why Jesse was so concerned. Jesse obviously hoped that Derek would hire someone that could ultimately be his wife, and he would gain access to his inheritance. Why it mattered to his friend was too bizarre of a situation to even dive into. He didn’t even want to acknowledge that Derek had figured out his friend’s motive for concern. “You know, I interviewed a few guys. Perhaps, I decided to go with one of them.”

  Jesse frowned. “Oh…that’s a possibility.” Disappointment washed over Jesse’s face. Derek could barely contain himself from laughing. “Did you?” Jesse finally asked.

  “No!” Derek admitted. “I have two women that I’ve narrowed it down to. One is married and the other…” his words trailed off, as Jesse appeared to be on the edge of his seat to find out the answer as if it was a high stakes poker game and he was about to lose everything. “The point is, Charity just doesn’t have the experience I figured I’d look for. I feel for her…losing her parents at a young age…having to take care of her sister because there was no one else around. I’m sorry that happened to anyone, but...”

  “You decided to go with someone else. I get it. It’s your office, and you know how to run it. I just was hoping for Charity’s sake. She really needed this.” Derek listened to Jesse’s words and didn’t say anything. Jesse motioned towards the door. “I’m heading out. I have a client I’m meeting for lunch.” He was gone before Derek could stop him. He brushed it off. He didn’t want to tell Jesse before he offered the job to the woman anyway. Now, he had other stuff to focus his attention on, and he would call her later.

  ***

  She knocked on Damian’s door, and he immediately answered. Her heart tugged slightly as she saw him standing there in tight blue jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged all his muscles. “Hello!” He greeted her and stepped back so she could enter his house.

  “Hello!”

  When he looked at her, his eyes widened. “You look amazing, but I must confess…I think I’m underdressed. I might need to go change.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t change!” She pressed her hand to his chest and brushed a soft kiss on his lips. “You look amazing!” she quietly stated, parting from the kiss.

  A huge smile stayed planted on his lips as his eyes followed over her own curves. She wore a black dress, a little conservative to how she’d normally dress if she were expecting something on the side, but she felt good in it. Her heels were built on a wedge, and her hair was pulled up into a clip, giving the impression of dressing up. He paused and continued to eye her, slowly moving his eyes down her body. “You’re the one that looks amazing, Charity.”

  “Thank you!” She placed her purse down on his couch and turned back to face him. “The roasted duck smells wonderful.”

  He grinned, then his throat opened up, revealing a chuckle. “It’s nearly done. I hope you like.” He motioned with his head for her to follow him.

  She did just that. They went into a dining room, where the table was adorned with an elaborate spread of flowers. She turned her head to him. “You did all this?”

  He shrugged. “I’m used to putting together a party that requires much more attention than this did.” He walked over to the table and held a chair out for her. She sat down and then looked up at him. “I’ll go grab the food.” He winked at her and disappeared from the dining room. She tried to relax against the chair. He went all out for something that was supposed to be two friends getting to know more about one another and see if they could continue their previous arrangement. This felt strangely similar to a date.

  She glanced at her watch. She waited all day to hear from Derek. She was angry that he wasted her time and didn’t have the decency to call and tell her she didn’t have experience enough to work with him. “Did I take too long?” he asked

  She looked up at him. “What?”

  He laughed. “You were looking at your watch. I was gone less than two minutes.”

  She blushed. “Just thinking,” she replied. She smiled at the tray he had carried into the room. The aroma was refreshing, but she silently prayed she didn’t get sick from the taste of food she wasn’t used to. He laid the tray down in the middle of the table and removed the lid from one of the plates. She was grateful she couldn’t tell it was duck from the looks of it. The plate was layered with meat, potatoes, and veggies, along with a garnishment of parsley. He placed the plate in front of her.

  “What…no salad?” she teased.

  “This is going to be enough food to satisfy you…trust me, but I do have a dessert planned.” Again he winked at her. Her knees shook under the table, she had
to place her hands on them to slow them down. Does he want this to be a date? It was true that there was heavy flirting coming from both of them on the phone as they texted one another, but as he said it was all in good fun. She didn’t think of this as a date. Or, at least, she didn’t until the meal started.

  He brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses and poured her glass. They then started a conversation that took a gentle push to get started. Then things slowly started to pick up. It was refreshing and light-hearted to talk to another human being that didn’t immediately start jumping her bones. She didn’t think she would feel so close to someone as she felt with him. The food was better than she could’ve hoped for and that eased her nerves, alone.

  “How have you been, Charity?”

  It was a question that made her ponder, before really opening up to him. “Did I tell you I got an interview?” she asked.

  “With the Mayor?”

  She nodded. “Yep…Tuesday.”

  He smiled, taking a bite of his food. “So…how’d it go?” he asked.

  “Well, thought I was going to get a call by today, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.” She took a bite of her duck and smiled as she ate the bite. “This is great, Damian.”

  He beamed, but that didn’t stop him from responding to her concern. “Something could’ve come up, and he wasn’t able to make his decision. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You haven’t heard him say no, then there’s still a chance. Right?”

  She snickered, grabbing a bite of two carrots. “You are so right. I will try to remember that. Thanks!”

  He shrugged. “That’s what I’m here for, to make you feel better.”

  She sighed and continued to eat her food. It wouldn’t help anyone to keep thinking about it or any of her other problems. It was a rough couple of days, but things could be worse. They kept their conversation away from negativity and when the main course was finished, he stood up and cleared the dishes.

  “May I help?” she asked, starting to stand up.

  He shook his head, coming back to the dining room. “You’re the guest. Are you ready for dessert?”

  “What do you have?” she asked.

  “Chocolate Mousse.”

  She smiled. “Perfect!”

  He left the dining room and soon came back with two cups of the dessert. He placed one down in front of her, and she took a bite. She sighed as it smoothly went down. It was amazing. “So what do you think?” he asked.

  She took another bite and gave him a thumbs up, so she didn’t talk while eating. When she swallowed, she showed her appreciativeness with words. “Oh my God…that’s amazing. You really are a phenomenal cook, but now that I know your little secret I might abuse your skill.”

  He laughed. “Anytime my dear.” They both took a bite of the dessert and barely said a word while they completed the Chocolate Mousse. She couldn’t recall ever having such a scrumptious meal, and when she was finished, she made a point to tell him that everything was delicious. When he had finished clearing the dishes, she wondered if things would turn awkward. Should she stay or leave? Would they have something to talk about? She didn’t want to go, but she also didn’t want to wear out her welcome.

  The moment he got back in the dining room, he asked her if she was ready for the entertainment. “Entertainment?” she asked with a laugh.

  He smiled, reaching for her hand, and pulling her to her feet. “Come with me!” He continued to hold her hand as they left the dining room and entered the living room. “So what’s your pleasure?” he asked, pulling away from her and heading to a cabinet.

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  He turned around and smiled, holding up a few CDs in his hand. “Do you like Marvin Gaye, The Beatles, or Johnny Cash?”

  She laughed. “That’s a very eclectic variety of music.”

  He smiled. “I can be very versatile.”

  “I’m not picky. You choose.”

  She sat down on the couch and waited for him to put in a CD. A short while later, Marvin Gaye was playing in the background. He walked over to the couch and held out his hand. “You’re not getting away that easy. Let’s dance!”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you get what you want? You could ask you know.”

  He smiled. “Fine! Charity, will you do me the great honor and dance with me?”

  “Better.” She allowed him to grab her hand and pull her to her feet. He twirled her around, and she found herself pressed against him. His left hand on her lower back and his right hand clenched to hers. The smooth and slow melody played in the background, and they slowly swayed to the music. She was fine in that position until the song Let’s Get it On started to play in the background. She looked up into his eyes and felt the embarrassment heavy in that room.

  He laughed. “Fitting song, huh?”

  She snickered. “Is that why you chose this CD?”

  He shrugged. “I just really like Marvin Gaye.”

  She smiled and looked away from him. They continued their rhythmic dancing and eventually his hand started rubbing circles along her back, and her breath started to get heavy. Whether it was the song or the heat was already there, to begin with, she couldn’t be sure, but slowly her head started to spin. When she looked back into his eyes, all she wanted to do was to kiss him. He made the first move, and his lips were forceful and passionate as he abruptly made his move. She moved her arms around his neck and his other hand went to her back. The dancing stopped, and they stood there, kissing and holding one another.

  “Tell me what you want!” he whispered between kisses.

  “I want you!” she breathlessly admitted.

  He lifted his hand to the zipper of her dress and slowly pulled it down. When the dress reached her feet, she stepped out of it, then slipped her shoes off. He lifted her into his arms and instead of carrying her down a hallway or up the stairs to a bedroom, he lowered her to the floor. She lifted the t-shirt off of him and flung it to the floor and wiggled herself out of her panties and bra, while he worked on his jeans. She panted, staring up at him, just waiting for him to remove his jeans. Then came his boxers. She grinned when his manhood came back into her view.

  She reached for him, but he stopped her. “Wait right here!” He whispered to her.

  She stared back at him, but nodded, falling back on the living room floor. This is a mistake. Go home before you completely fall and get your heart broke again. Don’t stay when you don’t want a relationship. “Shut up!” she said between clenched teeth to the voices inside her head.

  “What’s that?” he asked, reentering the living room.

  She looked up to find him standing at the couch. “Nothing!” she replied with a laugh. She glanced at his hand. He held a can of whip cream and a bottle of chocolate sauce.

  “I thought we already had dessert,” she stated with a grin.

  He snickered. “Can’t ever have too much dessert.” He winked at her and lowered himself to the floor.

  He held up the items. “You want the honors, or shall I?” He smiled at her, and she grabbed the grocery items from him.

  “Get on your back!” She ordered.

  He seemed all too willing to comply. He sprawled himself out, showcasing his massive erection and his deliciously hard body. She shook the can of whip cream and smiled as she squirted a face onto his stomach. She tossed the can down, then dotted the two eyes with the chocolate syrup so it was like the eyes were as brown as his. She let it fall to the ground and moved her lips down to his stomach. She hungrily devoured each eye, running her tongue along his abdomen and sucking hard against his flesh.

  His hands slid down her body, landing squarely on her ass and squeezing roughly as she continued to clean his stomach of the ingredients. “Hmm…” he growled. She licked her way around the mess, then lifted her hand to his stomach and slid it around the cream. As she finished removing it from his stomach, she reached over and grabbed the cream, then shimmied up his body and locked eyes with
him.

  “Open your mouth,” she ordered.

  His mouth hung open, and she squirted some whipped cream into his mouth. She put it down on the floor and moved in for a kiss, thrusting her tongue between his warm lips. He softly sighed, then she felt him shifting beneath her. Before she could prepare herself, he had squirted her back side. She broke from the kiss, opening her mouth in shock. He wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back into a kiss, then ran his hands all over her back, washing the whipped cream all over her back. His erection hung at her leg, and she noticed him inching closer to her. She pulled back.

  “Condom…” she gasped.

  He groaned, but she rolled off of him and waited for him to get a condom, which he quickly found one in his jeans pocket like he anticipated this very moment. He got back on the floor, and they went back to original positions, but this time she allowed him to enter her. The mess of the whipped cream easily went into her hair, and they got back to reacquainting their bodies. He pulled the clip from her hair, and it fell down past her shoulder. His hands ran through her hair, and he flipped her onto her back. His pounding increased, and she cried out as an orgasm held onto her body and shook her. She dug her fingers into his back and then ran them up and down his body, feeling the coldness from the whipped cream coming in contact between their two bodies. This was right where she wanted to be, connecting with Damian and living in the moment.

  Chapter 11

  Charity opened her eyes when she heard the annoying alarm clock going off. She moved her hands around to hit the snooze button and ended up bumping into the man beside her. She looked to her right and closed her eyes briefly. The previous night was a blur, but slowly things did start to come back to her. The whipped cream, the chocolate syrup, the delicious way his body felt beneath her. The alarm clock continued to ring until she realized it was an Adele song playing on her phone. Her phone was ringing.

  She maneuvered herself away from him, grabbed a blanket and covered herself up and walked over to where her purse was. She grabbed her phone and spotted an unrecognizable number. “Hello?” she replied into the phone.