by Haley Travis
It was clear that my sweet girl was often nervous and shy. I was happy to devote some time to helping her when she needed it, and adapting when she wasn’t ready yet. All I wanted in this world now was for Leah to be happy, and to start putting the steps in place for us to be together forever.
I rushed home to have a quick snack. Then I researched her company before I got dressed. I memorized the names and faces of the top people in charge and flipped through their corporate environment online.
Most companies made a big deal about being inclusive, so that should include one of their accountants having a partner who was an artist and small business owner. Nobody needed to know more than that.
I almost called Leah to tell her that I was going to show up, but the more I thought it through, the more I thought it might make her more nervous. It was likely best to let her get there and do her own thing for a bit before I appeared.
I wanted to be the man she needed in every situation. It was also thrilling to realize that this would be the first time we were out in public as a couple. Grinning to myself, I realized that I was a great big lovestruck dork, disguised as a tough guy. That actually made me laugh out loud.
CHAPTER EIGHT
* Leah *
I hoped that I didn’t offend Grant. I’m so lucky to have found him, and I think we really click, but his expression was heart-wrenching when I didn’t ask him to be my date. I thought maybe calling him on the way to the party would be a nice gesture. But he didn’t answer.
Just as I was calling a cab, I got a text.
Hey, baby – I hope that your party goes well tonight. Is it still okay if I pick you up and take you for a drink after? If so, what’s the address?
I was relieved that he wasn’t upset, and sent him the address of the event.
That would be great – I’ll probably leave early, around 9:30, but I’ll text you ahead of time.
I was tempted to add a smiley face, but I didn’t know how he would react to the cutesy stuff. There was still so much I didn’t know about him. But I truly wanted to. I wanted to know about his favorite cereal, and where he bought those tight black t-shirts that stretched like a second skin across his muscles.
I wanted to know if he was honestly as infatuated with me as he seemed to be, and why. It was difficult to wrap my head around. I was just a normal girl, but he was behaving like I was some sort of queen.
Giving my head a shake, I got into the cab. Soon I was walking into the event, looking around the room and already counting the minutes until I could leave.
It was just too nerve-wracking for me at these functions, and I instantly wished that Grant really were here to help me relax. On one hand, I didn’t want him to see me being a nervous freak, trying to hold myself together to make conversation with the higher-ups. But I didn’t want him to be in a place that might be uncomfortable for him.
I honestly had no idea whether or not my coworkers would say anything about his appearance. There were a few clients that were built like linebackers, similar in size to Grant. But they were multi-millionaires who controlled tech companies. I was just too nervous to walk in with someone who might make people stare.
Most of my coworkers were all married with families and I really didn’t have much to discuss with them. I couldn’t relate to their three kids, and their complicated home renovations.
I went to the ladies’ room to check my hair, and heard two women gossiping in the corner about some huge gorgeous guy who had been hanging out at the bar.
“Who is he?” the marketing lady asked.
“I have no idea. But he was talking to the president of the company about fancy tequilas, and the two of them were clapping each other on the back like old friends.”
“I wonder if he’s one of the new hires in the research department?”
They left quickly, and I didn’t bother telling them that the two new research employees were both women. But going to the bar certainly sounded like a good idea. Once I had fluffed my hair and checked my lip gloss, I went directly to get a drink. I figured just one might make me mellow.
Mr. Henderson, the president of our corporation, was at the end of the bar with a big man in a jet black suit. His shoulders were as big as Grant’s, but this guy had a slightly crisper haircut.
“There is our girl,” Mr. Henderson said to me, waving his glass in greeting.
I wasn’t sure what he meant until the other man turned around, and Grant’s dark eyes met mine.
“Sweetheart,” he said brightly, pulling me into a huge bear hug. “Sorry I got here before you, but it gave me a chance to teach Nathan here about some top-shelf tequilas he’s never tried.”
Mr. Henderon laughed merrily. “In my defense, I never would have guessed that tequila would go with steak.”
Grant held up a finger in warning. “Only the square dark blue bottle is spicy enough. Don’t get it confused with the silvers.” They chuckled together like old friends, then Mr. Henderson nodded to us and took off to a large group of people.
“Please don’t be angry,” Grant said quickly. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you being here alone. I didn’t want you to be nervous, and I know how men sometimes get aggressive at these sorts of things.”
Then he put his glass down and took a step back to hold my hands in his. “Look at you,” he breathed. “Leah, you are a vision.”
“Hold on, let me look at you,” I gasped, checking out his haircut and clean-shaven, handsome face. “Where did you get the suit?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Every quality man must have a sharp black suit in his closet. It’s a basic rule.”
I shook my head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t invite you. I didn’t want you to be bored, or feel out of place.”
He slid an arm around me, tucking me against his side. “Angel, my place is with you. Anytime you want me, anywhere you want me to be, I will be there in a heartbeat.”
Looking up at him, I couldn’t quite believe it. “You went to all this trouble for me?”
He looked shocked. “Leah, you’re my girl now. You’re my other half.” He took my hand and held it against his heart. “This is yours. I will be everything I can for you, and try to improve both of our lives every single day, for as long as you’ll have me.”
Closing my eyes for a second, he gave my hand a shake. “Baby, are you okay?”
I nodded, smiling. When I opened my eyes, he could probably see they were a little glassy. “No one’s ever been this sweet to me before. I’m trying not to cry and wreck my mascara.”
He leaned in to give me a tiny kiss at the temple. “Just breathe, baby. Now, do you know how to work these functions?”
“What do you mean? People just hang out and have a drink, right?”
Grant shook his head. “No. Leave that to the amateurs. If you want to further your career, you have to think of every work social function as an opportunity. First off, you drink a quarter as much as everyone else. You make sure to make a good impression with any person you’re having problems with, might need favors from, or want to work with in the future.”
I nodded. “That’s smart.”
“It’s important that they like your work, but when it comes to promotions, it’s also important that they like you personally. This is the time to ask them a lot of questions about themselves. The more personal things you discover about them during an event when they’re chatting freely, the more questions you have to ask them sometime when things are rocky, and you need to smooth things out or cheer them up.”
I nodded, carefully taking mental notes.
“And you need to leave about two-thirds of the way into the event. That way nobody realizes that you left early, but you’re long gone before people get tipsy and start misremembering things.”
I laughed. “How do you know all this?”
He shrugged. “My dad is a lawyer. He often uses the term, ‘career beers’ for work functions.”
“Oh. I had no idea.”
His ey
es clenched at the corners, as he pulled me close again. “I know, and I don’t like that. We have our entire lives to catch up on, so we’re going to have to put in some quality time every single day until we’re caught up.”
“Yes. I want to study you like you’re an algebra test,” I winked. “I hope I pass.” We laughed together as I ordered a glass of wine, then Grant led me around the room, stopping to chat with anyone and everyone.
He knew all of the right questions to ask, and how to draw people out until they were freely sharing and laughing. I was taking mental notes left and right. He was completely correct – people loved talking about themselves, and all we had to do was ask questions, then a few follow up questions.
The thing was, Grant seemed genuinely interested in every little thing. I had no idea that Jeremy in the mailroom kept exotic fish, but we ended up thinking up hilarious names for the new additions he was excited about getting next month. Apparently our receptionist Karen ran a video channel about scrapbook journaling.
The more we chatted with people I barely knew, the more I got to know Grant. His interest in the entire world was inspiring. He could talk to anyone about anything because he genuinely liked people. I could easily see why people would come back repeatedly for him to interpret their art and have it made permanent.
When we stopped to say hello to my manager David, it was bizarre listening to the two of them saying nice things about me, as if I weren’t standing right there. Finally David asked, “So, Grant, what do you do?”
“I’m an artist,” he said smoothly. “I co-own a studio. But I also have some small investments. Property, and shares in a couple of environmental technology companies.”
Turning to him, I grinned. “I didn’t know that.”
“I’ll show you my whole portfolio some time,” he chuckled.
David laughed lightly. “Leah is so organized that you likely should. She’s a wizard of paperwork and numbers.”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking of hiring her for a day to go through the systems at my studio to make sure we’re being completely efficient.” Grant turned to David. “Would I be breaking any exclusivity contracts if I hired her for just one day?”
David pretended to ponder quite seriously. “I suppose how she spends her vacation days is her own business,” he finally laughed.
“Thanks, guys, a girl just loves it when men talk like she isn’t here,” I giggled.
“Oh, please don’t tell HR on me!” David joked, throwing up his hands as a shield. We laughed again, then wandered away to chat with others.
“So, that’s your manager?” Grant said. “He seems like a good guy.”
“Wait,” I said. “I only introduced him by name. How did you know that?”
Grant looked sheepish. “I looked up your company and skimmed the department heads.”
“Sweet fancy Elvis.” I shook my head. “You’re incredible.”
“Incredibly in love with you,” he murmured, snuggling me under his arm. “Have we schmoozed enough, do you think?”
“Definitely. I’ve circulated more tonight than I have at the last three parties combined.”
“Did you really want to go somewhere else for a drink, or–”
“Let’s go to my place,” I interrupted. “I have a bottle of nice red I’ve been saving for no occasion at all. My apartment isn’t very impressive, but it’s close.”
“Sure, I want to see where you live.”
I’d never made out in the back of a taxi before. I’d never made out in an elevator. Going up just one floor wasn’t nearly long enough. We barely got in my door before his hands were reaching into the front of my dress, caressing my breasts firmly while I moaned against him.
Then he suddenly stopped, locking the door and coming in and looking around.
I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or whether he was just getting a sense of the space. I knew that my apartment was pretty crummy, but it was almost big enough, just clean enough, and it was mine.
Then he turned to me, with such a hungry look in his eyes I almost didn’t know how to make sense of it. He took my hand, pulling me to the bedroom.
Holding me against him, he unzipped the back of my dress, kissing me softly. “You did such a good job tonight, baby,” he said gently. “All you needed was a tiny push, then you made all of those people love you even more.”
“I only care about one person loving me,” I whispered, cupping his face in my hands. “Grant, thank you for showing up for me tonight. Thank you for teaching me how to be a bit more outgoing. I know I’m going to learn a lot from you,” I grinned.
“I have a lot to learn too,” he said, kissing along the side of my throat as he let my dress slide to the floor. “There’s one little spot right here, and I have no idea what noise you’re going to make…” He sucked at the skin just behind my ear, instantly making me squirm and squeal.
Before I even knew what was happening, I was on my back on the bed while he tore off my bra and panties. His suit hit the ground seconds later, and his shoulders spread my thighs wide as he immediately began lapping at my pussy.
I felt so open to him. Like I couldn’t hide behind my mental shields anymore, and he had broken down all of my doors.
His warm tongue felt both soothing and stimulating as he stroked it against my swollen clit. His fingers parted my pussy lips delicately, sliding a finger around my slippery inner folds before beginning to thrust so slowly it was maddening.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he growled, his deep voice strained. I could feel his fingers gripping my hips tighter as his other hand plunged deeper inside me.
His tongue dug in firmly, now rubbing in circles around and across my clit, and I grabbed the sides of his hair, feeling the heat in my core flashing through me.
“Yes, oh yes,” I screamed, holding his face against me and rocking shamelessly as I came into his mouth. His eyes were grinning up at me, and he looked as satisfied as I felt.
Grant came up to kiss me gently, and I darted the tip of my tongue around his lips. “Is that what I taste like?” I giggled.
His hand tilted my face up to his as he stared at me, suddenly serious. “I hope you like that, Leah. I’m going to eat your sweet pussy at least once a day for the rest of your life.”
Reaching down between his legs, I began stroking his huge shaft, loving the feeling of his hot, silky skin under my palm. As my thumb circled around the thick round head, I could feel a few drops of pre-come. It thrilled me that he was as excited as I was.
Tilting my hips up, I pulled him to me, looking up to see if he was okay with that. He was grinning and nodding. “I love it when you’re bold, baby.”
Taking the head of his cock, I glided it slowly over my sensitive clit and wet opening. Back and forth, I teased him, adoring the way his hips begin to squirm slightly.
“You little tease,” he growled.
“I found a new toy,” I whispered.
“You can do whatever you want with me, baby. I’m yours. Completely.”
He sounded so serious, but his grin of absolute delight made my desire overtake me. I’d never felt this close to anyone before. It was energizing. Pulling his thick cock to my entrance, I tilted my hips up, drawing him inside.
“Did you want something, my love?” Grant asked, raising an eyebrow.
I brought both hands behind his neck, squirming my hips as I tried to draw him deeper, pulling his face to mine. He kissed me deeply, passionately, as his body slowly slid inside my soaking passage, gently stretching me open.
“I love how it feels like your soft little pussy needs me,” Grant murmured.
I loved the way he spoke to me. I loved the way he was so gentle and so powerful at the same time. I loved the way his huge hard body covered mine, making me feel tiny and soft.
“I do need you,” I breathed. “Every part of you.”
He quickly flipped us over so that I was on top. Taking hold of my hips, he eased inside. I gasped as I was sudd
enly completely full. We both glanced down to see where we were joined, watching as if hypnotized as his huge shaft disappeared into my wet tunnel over and over. His deep, hip rolling rhythm was driving us both wild, and I felt so full I nearly ached for him.
Leaning forward, I whispered, “I’m going to need you to make me yours every single night.”
His thickness pressed even deeper, making me gasp. “Anything and everything you want, baby,” he groaned. “We belong to each other now.” He increased his speed slightly, then groaned again. “I love the feeling of you around me,” he said softly, thrusting quick and deep. “I love every single thing about you, Leah.”
He was so sweet that I would have become teary if I weren’t about to come. At this angle, I was able to grind against him perfectly. His primal abandon took over as he thrust hard and deep while I spread my fingers across his chest. I felt like a goddess, flipping my hair to the side, riding him while he concentrated on pleasing me.
“You feel incredible… Please… More…” I murmured.
I saw a saucy twinkle in his eyes at my begging, then I fell over the cliff, screaming and squirming while my gorgeous man thrust into me with everything he had.
I leaned forward so that he could kiss me roughly, then I felt his shaft jerk deep inside me, emptying his release while my pussy still clenched and pulsed around him.
“Oh! Yes, yes…” I squealed.
Our movements slowed down, but our kiss did not fade. The overwhelming pleasure still flooded both of us, as we clutched each other, half delirious with the rush of realizing what we had.
Grant rolled us so that we were on our sides, with my head snuggled into the crook of his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me, rocking me gently.
CHAPTER NINE
* Grant *
As much as sex with Leah was the most incredible thing in the universe, listening to her breathing slow down and smooth out afterward was fast becoming one of my new favorite sounds. The amount of love I had for this girl was nearly shocking.