by Katie Kyler
“You are?” Jess asked.
“They want me to photograph them, silly,” he said, kissing her nose. “Anyway, I always tell them no, because for all their plastic looks that people try to airbrush onto fashion models, these women are lacking something crucial. Something Allison and Jess have an abundance of.”
“If you say something like ‘a good heart’ I’ll murder you in your sleep,” Jess joked.
“Nah,” he laughed and shook his head. “You’re both beautiful. So are they…in their own way. But you two have class. Boobs and noses can be faked. Class can’t.”
Joshua nodded. “I couldn’t have said it better. It explains why nothing lasted between me and any of those other women.”
I could tell he was embarrassed that he’d ever dated them. It made me feel better about myself, but I didn’t want him to feel like the night was ruined, either. I knocked my shoulder into his. “Hey, we’re having a good time here. Let’s not worry about that old past and those old mistakes. You’ve found me, now, and we’re happy, right?”
His brown eyes met mine, and he smiled that slow smile that melted my insides. “Very happy.”
Not for the first time, I remarked on the changes I’d noticed in Joshua. Before we started dating, I’d never seen an emotion on him besides vague pleasure at how well the company was doing. He rarely smiled. There wasn’t much warmth to him. Sexy heat, yes. But it was insubstantial. Over the past few months, he’s gotten more and more real. He’s gotten warmer, as a person. The feelings I had for him were much more than simple affection and admiration. I hadn’t lied to Jamie when I confessed that I thought I might love Joshua.
After we’d eaten all of the red curry we could hold, Jess and Jeremy shared a dish of Thai tea-flavored ice cream.
“Thanks for making the reservations tonight,” Jeremy said to Joshua.
“Anything for friends of Allison’s.” Joshua tucked a strand of my hair back behind my ear. His other hand stroked my knee beneath the table. I could feel the heat of it through the jersey cloth of my skirt.
“You know,” Jess said, feeding another bite of ice cream to Jeremy, “since you two met on the Scintilla site, and your relationship is public, you could use it to advertise the company. It’d be an awesome human interest story and an advertisement to boot.”
Joshua smiled. “I actually thought about that a couple of months ago, but I’d forgotten all about it. It’s a great idea to consider.”
Jess nodded. “I might not have as many good ideas as Allison, but I’ve been known to come up with a good one every now and then.”
“What do you think?” Joshua squeezed my knee. “Would that be too public for you? I grew up with being in the occasional spotlight so I’m okay with this—how would you feel about it, though?”
I grinned. It was thoughtful of him to ask. I loved how protective he was of me, how he considered my needs and desires. He’s come far from when we first started dating. Then, it seemed some of his actions were motivated by how they’d benefit him. Now, he’s waiting to see if I thought they’d benefit me, too. “I wouldn’t want to miss being the first public success story for Scintilla.”
Jess and Jeremy had given us privacy to discuss, and now they were feeding each other bites of ice cream. It was disgustingly cute. “Look at them,” I said.
Joshua rolled his eyes, but he did it with a smile. He made his voice go high-pitched. “Adorbs!”
“Shut up.” I punched him in the shoulder. I whispered in his ear, “They’re so cute. They remind me of us in some ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get engaged soon.”
He nodded and took a sip of his beer. Crap. What did I just say? It sounded like a freaking hint. Did he think I was angling for an engagement of my own? I could feel my face, and even my neck, getting hot. Hopefully the twinkle lights and red candles would disguise my mortification. I tried to think of a way to erase whatever implications he might think I was making.
“We’re going to head back home,” Jess said, oblivious to my discomfort. She snagged Jeremy’s beer and finished it for him. “Jeremy’s going to stay over, if that’s okay?”
“Sure.” But I wanted to give them their privacy. I looked over at Joshua. “Would it be all right—”
“Of course,” he said curtly. “I was hoping you’d stay with me tonight.”
“Thanks.” Normally I’d entwine my fingers with his, but I didn’t want to seem clingy after the marriage comment. Instead, I smiled uneasily.
Jess and Jeremy paid their half of the bill and got up to leave. He pulled her chair out for her, ever the gentleman. Tears sprang to my eyes because I was so happy about what they had.
“Thanks for the fantastic evening,” Jeremy said, leaning down to hug me and to shake Joshua’s hand.
“Likewise,” Joshua said.
Jess blew me an air kiss. “Au revoir!”
I laughed. She only spoke French when she was starting to get drunk. “Oh, Jess, feed Bub for me, will you?”
“Mais ouis, mon amie!”
Joshua was quiet next to me as we listened to Jess’s giggles fade away. Again, I wanted to bring up my silly marriage comment, but I wasn’t sure how. I hoped I hadn’t sent him the wrong message.
* * * * *
When he wasn’t shifting gears, Joshua held my hand on the way back to his place. The car was quiet except for Usher, playing on the car stereo. I wanted him to say something, anything, to put me at ease. The marriage comment still hung between us like a giant elephant in the room, wearing preacher’s robes and asking Joshua to kiss the bride.
I watched the glow of streetlights and the headlights of oncoming traffic flicker across his face as he drove. He looked so self-assured, so confident. Exactly the opposite of what I was feeling now. I had to break the silence; it was eating me alive. “Did you, uh, have fun tonight?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You?”
He pulled into his driveway and parked in the garage. The lights automatically came on, and I blinked at the other cars surrounding us. There weren’t many, maybe six or seven. Flashy things that probably had names I wouldn’t know how to pronounce.
Joshua noticed that I was looking around. “It seems a bit much now, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“All this.” He gestured at the cars. “I was thinking of getting rid of most of them. I’ll keep this one,” he pointed at the black one we’d just climbed out of, as well as a copper-colored SUV, “and that one over there. We’ll take that one on our weekends to Bushkill Falls.”
He was still talking about the future—phew. My comment about marriage hadn’t completely scared him off.
“Really? Why would you get rid of the rest?” He had the space to keep them, and the money to maintain them.
“They remind me of those two women tonight.”
I could feel my face fall. “Oh, them.”
“I can’t say how sorry I am, Allison, that my superficial past crept up and bit us in the ass. It hurt you, and there’s nothing I can do to forgive myself.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I’ve already forgiven you. Getting rid of your cars isn’t going to change the past.”
“No, it won’t.” He took my hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. “But some of these are flashy, and they’re all for show. Just like the women I used to date. I’m sure there’s more to those women than what we see, but my money blinded me and them to anything deeper. These cars, they represent that life. Getting rid of them will be freeing.”
I leaned against his chest. “You’re a good man, you know that?”
He bent forward and I felt his lips press into the top of my head in a chaste peck. “You make me want to be better.”
His heartfelt words made me feel braver, and I finally worked up my courage. It was easier to do with my eyes closed and my forehead pressed against his chest, since he couldn’t see me, and I couldn’t see him. “Hey, Joshua?”
“Mm-hmm?”
/> “I feel really bad about bringing up marriage earlier.”
He stepped back, but I walked forward with him, keeping my face buried in his chest. “Allison.”
I shook my head. “Just let me get this out. It was inconsiderate of me. I promise I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything, and I was honestly just talking about Jess and Jeremy, not trying to hint anything about you and me.”
“Allison.” His voice was stern.
He tried to tilt my head up to look at him, but I stubbornly stayed how I was.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” I said.
“I just wanted to say I love you, Allison.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I looked up. His deep brown eyes looked right into mine. “What—what did you say?”
“I said I love you. I’ve been falling in love with you from the very beginning.”
I closed my eyes. This was a dream come true. Joshua Tolbert, in love with me. This kind, caring, generous man who wanted to be a better person for me—he loved me.
“I should tell you something, then,” I said, grinning through my tears. “I love you, too, Joshua.”
He rubbed my shoulders through the wrap shirt I had on. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that,” he said.
He bent down and put his lips to mine. He tasted like minty chocolate, one of the mints he’d had after dinner, and I drank in his kiss and his love.
It started out innocently enough, but I wanted more. I nipped his lower lip, and he growled. “Bedroom?” he asked.
“Or…” I pulled away for long enough to point at the cars lined up along the wall. “Which of these do you want to get rid of first? We should send it off happy.”
He chuckled, and it vibrated through his body. “The Lamborghini.”
“Which one is that?”
He led me to a flashy green car and opened the passenger’s door. The interior was soft leather, and it smelled clean. Expensive.
I looked at the seats and shook my head. “Not a lot of room in there, huh?”
“Nope.” He didn’t sound disappointed, though, and I figured out why when he leaned me back against the side of the car. He hiked up my skirt, his palm cupping my thigh as it slid upward. He kissed my ear, biting it gently, and I shivered at the feeling it sent straight between my legs.
I yanked at the bottom of his shirt, and he let me go briefly so he could help me pull it over his head. Running my hands over his impeccable abs, I felt my body go hot, as if I were drenched in heat. Joshua pulled down the neck of my shirt. I’d gone braless, and his giant grin let me know he liked the surprise.
He took one nipple into his mouth, sucking it gently. I gasped, pulling his head closer. One of his hands worked my skirt up again, and he pulled my underwear down to my knees, so I was able to kick it the rest of the way off.
The side of the Lamborghini was no longer so cold against my back. Instead, it was capturing our heat and sending it right back to us. I fumbled with the button on his pants and pulled them down, then freed him from his boxers.
He paused. “Are you ready for me, my love?”
I bit his lip. “Why don’t you find out?”
He pressed a finger into me, and it slid in easily. “Oh, yes, you are.”
A second later and his finger was gone, and he paused briefly to put on a condom. Then something much more substantial than his finger entered me. I leaned back against the car’s surface, feeling my hips buck against him as he rocked back and forth, easing further into me with every motion.
Wanting him closer, I wrapped one leg around him, pulling him toward me even more, pressing him into me as far as he could go. “Allison,” he breathed. “Allison.”
The car behind me didn’t give at all, so every one of Joshua’s thrusts went straight to my core, bringing me forward, closer to completion. He leaned forward and took one of my nipples in his mouth.
“I’m going to come,” I gasped.
He kept up his pace, swirling his tongue over my breasts and gripping my thighs. The friction of his pelvis grinding into mine was more than I could bear, and I cried out his name and shuddered, clenching around him. He tensed, too, and bit gently down on my shoulder. I could feel him pulsing within me.
His lips found mine as we enjoyed the aftershocks of our climax. Then he let go of my legs, still leaning against me so I wouldn’t fall over. With his hands, he brushed my hair out of my face. Putting his forehead against mine, he said, “I love you, Allison. I’ll never be able to tell you enough.”
Chapter 8
Joshua
I woke up to morning light streaming through my bedroom. I felt full, content. Allison was in bed next to me, asleep. I thought of running a single finger along the edge of her collarbone, waking her up to repeat some of the awesome sex we’d had last night. She looked too peaceful, though. I could wait.
She loved me, too. And if she loved me, I could wait for anything.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I reached for it. A text from Jamie. He sounded pissed and confrontational, like usual these days. If you feel like coming into work sometime today, people want to go over things with you. If it’s convenient.
I looked over at the clock. Shit. It was after nine. A faint chiming noise was coming from Allison’s side of the bed. Her handbag was buried beneath her dress, and the alarm on her telephone was going off. I picked it up. The alarm had been on “snooze” for over an hour.
I gently woke her and we got ready. The whole time I was thinking about Jamie. It was okay that I was late. Allison, too. I just wished he didn’t sound so freaking angry all the time. Truth was, I kind of missed my brother.
Edge of Bliss
The Edge Series, Book Seven
(An Alpha Billionaire Romance)
By
Ellie Danes
&
Katie Kyler
www.Ellie Danes.com
www.KatieKyler.com
Chapter 1
Allison
Joshua wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in for a kiss in the elevator. His lips sent waves of electricity through my body, and I moaned softly.
It had been a month since we’d finally gone public, and the office still seemed to approve of our relationship. I loved that Joshua would give me little kisses throughout the day, no longer afraid of people catching us. Of course, we kept it professional overall—no make-out sessions in front of the coffee machine, and, so far, no sex in his office. I smiled to myself. At least, not during business hours.
“I thought about you in the shower this morning,” he whispered against my neck.
I stroked his chest through his crisp button-down shirt. “Did you? Should I ask for details?”
“Mm, probably not. I’ll show you, instead. How about Friday night?” he asked. “Chinese take-out at my place, and a movie we won’t see the end of?”
“That sounds great,” I murmured, “except it’s going to have to wait until Saturday. I have girls’ night out with Jess on Friday, remember?”
“Damn.” His fingers played with the waistband of my skirt. “Can I come, too?”
I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of my throat. “Are you that desperate to spend time with me?”
“Maybe.”
“That would defeat the whole idea of girls night out. Skirts only, sorry.” I smirked at the visual of Joshua in a skirt—it was so at odds with his hot alpha male look. But I wouldn’t have minded seeing him in a kilt, maybe. Visions of him starring in The Outlander series sent a flush creeping through my face.
“I want to know what you’re thinking right this second,” he said, touching my burning cheek.
The elevator beeped softly, signaling our floor, and the doors slid open.
“Maybe later,” I said with a relieved smile. I could just imagine the teasing. He’d insist on watching the show with me, and I’d never hear the end of it.
He laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”
The st
aff barely spared us a second glance when we got off the elevator. Joshua walked me to my new office and gave me a lingering kiss on the lips. “See you later, VP,” he murmured.
I opened my office door and stepped inside. Like my old cubicle, there were inspirational quotes on the walls, although these were written out in delicate fonts and sported matching frames. I smiled, remembering when Joshua had given them to me. “An office-warming gift,” he’d said. “I want you to feel at home here.”
Unlike my old cubicle, this was an actual office, with a door, and windows, and a full-sized desk. It had taken me a long time to feel like I belonged in here, but Joshua had assured me that the work I was doing needed the space.
The position of Vice President suited me, although it had taken me awhile to come to terms with that. I’d worried that the other employees would think I was getting special treatment. I could remember arguing with Joshua about it. “I’m fine working where I am,” I’d said.
He’d raked his hands through his hair in frustration. “Dammit, Allison, a bonus isn’t enough. You’re showing huge initiative here, and it’s not just because you’re my girlfriend. You have the brains and the creativity to take this company to the next level, and I want you in this place. You deserve this position.”
Even though it had taken me awhile to get confident enough to see myself as he did, now I knew he was right—I did deserve this position. As soon as the app had been launched, it quickly became one of the top dating apps in the country, and Joshua declared I should have this new position in the company. Every day I was coming up with new ideas and managing the app as well…despite the fact that Jamie glowered at me from time to time, as he was doing now.
I sighed and closed the blinds to my office. It was easier to work when I didn’t feel like he was out there, scowling at me.
My phone chimed in my purse and I pulled it out to glance at the screen. Joshua had sent me a text with a link. Have you seen this one?
I clicked the link. The article that popped up was on a popular news site and titled: “Billionaire Finds Love with His Own Dating Site.” It went on to list many of the same details that had been shared by various news sites over the past few weeks, such as how we’d been frustrated with our love lives and had signed up on a whim, only to find each other on our first try. Joshua received most of the focus in the articles, because it was his company and he was so handsome and well-off.