“Do you know how badly I’ve wanted you, Alecia?” he whispers against my ear as his free hand continues to cup my ass and he controls the speed and depth of his thrusts.
“No.”
He kisses my ear, my cheek, my nose, and finally my lips as he picks up speed, fucking me harder, faster, making me squirm and moan and pant.
Jesus fucking Christ I can’t take it.
My hand grips his harder and my toes curl.
“You’re going to come, bella.”
“Yes.”
“Let go. Do it.”
I’m almost there. I’m just on the edge. Fuck me, if he keeps hitting my clit just like that…
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!
I sit up, sweaty, panting, and every nerve in my body on fire, eyes wildly searching my bedroom. Everything is normal. Except all of the covers have been pushed onto the floor, my tank and panties are gone, and I’m on the brink of the most explosive orgasm of my life.
And very alone.
I slap my hand on the snooze button, swearing long and loud. Seriously?
Seriously?!
He’s in every daydream I have, and now he’s invading my sleep too? And I’m about to come without him even touching me.
Son. Of. A. Bitch.
Chapter One
I’m late. I’m never late. I don’t do late.
It’s Dominic Salvatore’s fault.
Okay, maybe that’s far-fetched, even to me, but seriously, does he have to infiltrate every thought? Even my dreams? Dreams that leave me sweaty and panting and…and…damn it.
I stare at myself in the mirror and shake my head.
Get it together.
I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for him. I have a day packed full of meetings and appointments with potential clients. No time to dwell on the hot Italian that I can’t seem to shake from my subconscious.
My hair doesn’t want to cooperate as I twist it up into its usual knot and secure it with bobby pins. What’s up with my hair today? I do my best to smooth it out and try again, but at just past 7:30 in the morning, my day seems to already be in the crapper.
I blow a wayward lock of hair off my forehead with a deep sigh and prop my hands on my hips, glaring at my hair. I wear it up every day. Every. Day. It’s professional.
I’m not wearing it down today.
So I do my best, then dress in my favorite pink summer suit—maybe it’ll improve my luck today—with pink Jimmy Choo heels and turn back to brush on my makeup and dash out the door. But just after I finish with my mascara, I sneeze, leaving black marks on my cheeks from the wet makeup.
Seriously? If this is the way my day is going to go, I should just go back to bed.
My phone rings just as I wipe away the black marks and am heading for the door.
“This is Alecia.”
“Hey, boss lady. I’m already here. Where are you?”
“Wishing I were back in bed,” I reply dryly, and press the call button for the elevator. “This day sucks. Is the client there?”
“Not yet. You’re just now leaving your condo?” Emily, my assistant, sounds shocked. And for good reason.
I don’t do late.
The elevator arrives and as I step on, the heel of my shoe catches in the rail of the door and snaps right off.
“Son of a bitch!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just broke my favorite Choo heel.” I throw my arm out to stop the doors from closing, pluck my precious heel out of the track and walk back to my door, up, down, up, down, swearing ripely the whole way.
“Wow, that’s some language you have going there.”
“Eight hundred dollar heels, Em.”
“You can probably have them fixed,” she says.
“I can hear you laughing at me.”
“I’m not. I swear. I think the client just got here, and you’re still thirty minutes out?”
“That’s if I don’t hit traffic. Damn it. Start without me. Buy her coffee. Chat her up. I’ll get there in twenty.”
“A speeding ticket won’t help.”
I hang up without responding and take a precious two minutes to mourn the loss of my shoes. The break on the heel isn’t fixable.
So much for my favorite suit turning my luck around today.
***
The speeding ticket I got on Interstate 5 held me up by an additional fifteen minutes, putting me almost forty-five minutes behind. Emily jinxed me.
Damn her.
“I’m so sorry,” I begin, as I walk briskly to the table Emily and a potential client, Summer James and her fiancé, Robert, are sitting at. I hold my hand out to shake theirs and smile brightly. “Traffic this time of day is horrific.”
“I would think you would have planned for the traffic,” Robert replies and glances down at his phone, checking the time. Summer scowls at him and then smiles at me.
“I understand. Emily has already given us a lot of great information.”
“Perfect.” I grin at Emily, who is eyeing my hair like it’s a three-toed sloth, and I turn my attention back to the couple. “I’m sure you’ve already discussed some of your thoughts and plans with Emily, but I’d appreciate it if you’d quickly fill me in.”
As I ask the couple about their date and go over some of their preferences on bridal party size and guest count, Emily fetches me a much-needed coffee.
Thirty minutes later, after we’ve covered the basics and I’ve gone over the prices for my services, Robert looks mildly sick to his stomach from information overload and sticker shock, and Summer is beaming.
Typical.
“I think…” Robert begins, but Summer interrupts him.
“I think we should hire her too!”
“No, babe, I was gonna say I think we can do this ourselves.”
Her jaw drops and she blinks rapidly. “Really? When will we have time?”
“You have weekends off,” he reminds her.
“So do you. But this is a full time job. I can’t do this alone!” She’s becoming very shrill, making the pounding at my temples even worse, so I do what I do. I step in to avoid a crisis.
“I understand,” I begin calmly and lay my hand over Summer’s arm. “This can be overwhelming, and it’s a big financial commitment. Take the weekend to think it over and call us next week.”
“Absolutely,” Emily agrees with a wide smile. “You don’t have to decide today.”
“Really?” Summer looks like she’s on the verge of tears, and Robert now looks mildly panicked.
“Yep.” I nod and pat her arm, then pass her a file full of the information I’ve just gone over with her. “Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your engagement party.”
“Thank you,” Robert replies and leads Summer out of the coffee shop.
“I’ll bet you a thousand bucks he talks her out of it,” Emily says, when they’re out of earshot and we’re gathering our things to leave.
“I’ll take that bet. I need new Choos.”
“You think she’ll talk him into it?”
“She will.” I sigh and take one more sip of my now-cold coffee. “I don’t think I grabbed my bottle of Advil this morning.”
“You okay?”
“I got a speeding ticket, thanks to you jinxing me.” I turn and glare at her, but she giggles. “I don’t find it particularly funny.”
“You don’t look great today.” Em tilts her head and watches me thoughtfully. “Did you go on a bender last night?”
I laugh and shake my head. “I wish. No, didn’t sleep well.” I can’t very well tell her that I had wild sex dreams about the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
“Insomnia.” She nods wisely. “You should take melatonin. It works wonders.”
“I’ll remember that,” I murmur and check the time on my phone. “I have to be in Olympia by noon.”
“Are you meeting with Will Montgomery?” she asks. She smiles softly and sighs.
“Yes.”
“Ca
n I—”
“No, I don’t need you to come along for this.”
She pouts, making me laugh. Emily has never made it a secret that she has a crush on the handsome football star.
Hell, we all have crushes on the whole Montgomery family. They’re all fine specimens of men, and their women are sweet and funny. What’s not to like? They’re also my best clients, and are the reason I can afford my condo and my shoe fetish.
And I like to think that they’ve become friends as well.
“You get to have all the fun,” Emily says.
“I do. And I also get to handle all of the bridecrazies and complaints. I believe it falls in my ‘owner’ job description.”
“Yeah, you can keep those. I’ll meet you back at your place later this afternoon?”
“Yes. You’re meeting with the Peterson couple to go over their flowers, right?”
“Yep. The MOB is a pain in the ass.”
“The mother of the bride is paying for a one hundred thousand dollar wedding. She’s paid for the right to be a pain in the ass.”
“True.” Emily holds her fist out to bump mine and grins. “Have a good time with the hot Will Montgomery.”
“I will. I’ll have my cell on me if you need me.”
“Back at ya.”
With that, Emily climbs into her Honda Civic and drives away. I pause and take a deep breath before I jump into my SUV and head toward Olympia. It’s still early, but that’s okay.
I should be early for something today.
***
“You look…interesting.” Blake, the caterer and my best friend, cocks his head to the side and watches me with humor-filled eyes as I walk into his office and sit on the edge of the chair across from his with as much dignity as I can muster.
“Fuck you.” I smile sweetly and pull my iPad out of my handbag.
“We’ve been there, done that. I think you still have some of my T-shirts.”
“I sleep in them,” I remind him, and bring my iPad to life, thumbing through client files until I find McBride-Montgomery Wedding. “But if you want them back, you can have them.”
“I don’t give a shit about the shirts.” I glance up to find his chocolate brown gaze watching me. Blake is a looker. He’s no Dominic Salvatore, but then, few are. Blake is tall and thin. His arms are muscular, thanks to all of those hours in the kitchen. He has a solid, square jaw and short dark blond hair. He’s the only person I’ve ever allowed myself to fully trust in my life.
“Are you ready for Will and Meg?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.
“I’m ready for you to tell me what’s up with you today. And what’s up with your hair?”
“It’s not that bad.” I roll my eyes, but Blake smirks.
“It’s not your usual perfect. Which means you were flustered this morning.”
“It’s just been a shitty day. Bad hair day. Broke the heel of my shoe.” I pout, making Blake grin.
“The expensive ones?”
“They’re all expensive.”
He smirks again. Blake is good at smirking. He can be an arrogant ass. “Is that all?”
“Got a speeding ticket and I was almost an hour late meeting a client.”
“Wow.” The humor leaves his face and he quirks a brow. “Bad day.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and glance back down at my iPad.
“Been happening a lot lately.”
I ignore him and stare blindly at the words on the pad in my lap. He’s right. I’ve been off my game for the past few months, and I don’t know why. Life is good. My business is thriving. I love it. I have a beautiful condo right on the water of the Puget Sound and good friends.
But something feels…off.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“I really just want to talk about Will and Meg, Blake. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“I have the staff in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the dishes we already talked about. The wine is corked and ready. We’re ready.”
“Great.”
“Hello?”
Megan McBride’s voice calls out from the lobby of Blake’s offices. I jump up, happy to see her, and grateful for the change in subject. I join her and Will, with Blake on my heels.
“Hi guys.” I smile and hug Meg and offer Will my hand to shake, but he just laughs and pulls me in for a big hug too. He’s surprisingly gentle for such a big man. Standing at least six foot four, he’s nothing but pure muscle and mischievous bright blue eyes. Will is my favorite of the brothers because of his fun-loving attitude and sense of humor.
Meg is a lucky woman.
“Sorry we’re early,” Meg says with a shrug.
“I’m always early when food is involved,” Will adds, and rubs his hands together. “Bring it on.”
“He’s so classy.” Meg shakes her head and slips her arm through Will’s and kisses his bicep.
“We’re almost ready,” Blake says, and motions for Meg and Will to follow us into the dining room. Blake’s staff has set it up to look exactly like the tables that Meg has chosen for her reception, complete with the centerpiece of her flowers of choice.
“Oh, babe! Look how pretty it is.” Meg grins and reaches out to touch an orange tiger lily.
“Have a seat.” I sit and lay the linen napkin in my lap and grin at the happy couple. Meg is oohing and ahing over the flowers, the china, even the party favors at each place, and Will is watching her with soft, love-filled eyes.
The Montgomery family almost makes me believe that true love really exists.
“Okay, first we have the Dungeness crab cakes with Washington apple slaw paired with Dominic’s Riesling.” The servers take their place to each of our left, and then in perfect synchronization, lower our plates before us.
“Wow, this looks amazing.” Meg grins and raises her fork, then laughs when she glances up at Will, only to find he’s already eaten one whole crab cake. “Good?”
“Mm…” He rolls his eyes and digs into the next one. “Good call on going with the Pacific Northwest menu, babe.”
“But we added the steak for those who don’t like fish,” she adds, looking to Blake for confirmation.
“Yes, you’ll get to taste both the salmon and the filet mignon today as well.”
“Oh, God, I won’t be able to eat it all. I have to fit into my wedding dress in two weeks.”
“Just take a bite or two of each,” I suggest with a smile. “Blake won’t be offended. That way you can taste everything and approve it for your guests.”
“Good idea.”
“I’ll be eating it all,” Will informs us and sips his wine. “I don’t have to fit into a dress. Damn, this wine is good.”
“Crab cakes and slaw are a thumbs up,” Meg agrees and sips her wine.
“Ready for what comes next?” Blake asks, and Meg and Will both nod. Blake signals the servers to return with the salad course. “Okay, here we have a grilled chicken salad with mandarin orange vinaigrette.” The servers again go through the ritual of setting our plates before us in perfect synchronization.
“Oh, yum,” Meg whispers, and digs in to her salad. “So good.” Will nods, his mouth too full to speak. Blake and I wink at each other. Blake is a master in the kitchen and my caterer of choice, especially for big events like this one.
Will Montgomery’s wedding is going to be all over the news and in every major magazine there is. This is a huge deal for all of the vendors involved, including me. It’s important that I only work with established vendors who are at the top of their game.
And no one is better than Blake.
“The wine pairing with this is the pinot gris?” I ask and sip the delicious wine.
“It is.” Blake nods and takes a few bites of the salad, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.
“I love it all so far,” Meg says with a grin and looks up to Will. “What about you?”
“I love it too.” He grins and leans down to kiss her lips softly.
“Whatever you want, babe. You know that.”
“Now we begin with the entrée. First we’ll try the salmon.” Blake nods at the lead server. “This is a grilled copper king salmon with tomatoes, balsamic marinated mushrooms and pancetta salad, paired with Dom’s merlot.”
We all cut into the flakey salmon and moan in elation. Blake does food so well.
“Oh my God,” Meg mutters with a moan and braces her hand on her chest. The rock on her finger sparkles.
“Keep moaning like that, Megan, and we’ll leave before the next course.” Will doesn’t look down at Meg, but she blushes furiously and squirms in her seat. I have to bite my lips to keep from laughing out loud. I love how the Montgomery and Williams men aren’t afraid to make it clear that they not only love their women, they can’t get enough of them physically.
They are in a league all their own.
“And now the filet,” Blake says, his eyes also full of humor. “I had these prepared medium. It’s served with a blackberry cabernet sauce and baked potato.”
The beef cuts like butter, making us all sigh in pleasure.
“And the wine?” Meg asks.
“Dom’s cabernet sauvignon.”
Meg takes a few bites of the beef and potato and closes her eyes as she raises her wine glass to her lips. “This was so good.”
Will has managed, of course, to clear every plate presented before him. He’s only sipped the wine though, choosing to drink water instead.
“We have a surprise,” I reply with a grin as the servers clear our plates.
“There’s more?” Meg asks with wide hazel eyes. “My belly is full.”
“I think you’ll have room for this.” The waiters return and set plates before each of us with four mini cupcakes on each one.
“You got Nic to make our cupcakes?” Meg asks, referring to Nic Dalton, the owner of Succulent Sweets, and Will’s brother, Matt’s, girlfriend.
“Yes, she made mini ones for the tasting today, so you could taste them after you’ve had the meal. All four of the flavors you chose are there. Lemon raspberry,” I point to each flavor as I name it. “Tiramisu, Death by Chocolate and vanilla with vanilla frosting.”
With Me in Seattle Bundle Two Page 79