“Okay, I can totally see why you’re upset, but again, I think you need to calm down. For your own good. Jump in the shower and I’ll take you to talk to her or wherever else you want to go.”
“That’s a perfect idea! First, we’ll stop at Watson Oil to see what my cousins have to say. Then we’ll storm down to the ranch house. Thank you.”
“Anything for you, babe. You’re the best friend I’ve got.”
* * *
We drove across town to the company offices for Watson Oil. When my father and uncle retired, Jeff and Rich took over running the business. I had no interest in working for an oil company in any capacity, so naturally our fathers passed everything over to them. I wasn’t a part of any of the decisions. Everything fell on their shoulders.
When the shit hit the fan with Annabelle, my original plan had been to work in the family business. I would have been happy with whatever Jeff could have given me. Shit, I would have made copies all day if that’s what it would have taken. Bitch face Annabelle wouldn’t have it though. As my father’s proxy, she exercised her control over the board and made it so I was unemployable there. I was downright amazed—and not in a good way—that she was able to pull it off. Jeff was livid. He threatened to quit, but I couldn’t have that on my conscience.
Dealing with this latest bullshit of hers was so not the way I wanted to spend my day off. I had been riding the high of that kiss with Jay when I went to bed. My dreams were filled with him and deliciously naughty sexual acts when I was startled awake. I would give anything to be back in bed having those dreams again.
The secretary at the front desk was the same one for the last twenty years, so I said a quick hello and proceeded back to Jeff’s office. As CEO, he was the head honcho on duty. He was also the one who promised me he would start looking into Annabelle and see what dirt he could dig up. It had been a little over a month since we last spoke, and I needed to know what he had found out.
“Hi, Marcy!” I greeted his assistant. Stopped in front of her desk, I smiled down at the petite blonde who looked as fragile as a flower, but was actually a better shot than most of the men who worked for the company. She could certainly hold her own if push came to shove.
“Tori! I haven’t seen you in forever! How have you been?”
“Oh, you know. Can’t complain too much.” I was never one to openly share my problems with people. I learned at an early age that whining and bitching were not that becoming on me. “This is my friend Kim. Kim, this is Marcy.”
They exchanged pleasantries and Marcy offered us coffee, but I was a woman on a mission. “Is Jeff in? I need to speak with him about a rather important matter.”
“Sure thing, honey. He just got off a conference call. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
After checking with Jeff, Marcy waved us off. We walked into his office and I was overcome with nostalgia at being in my father’s old stomping ground. It was elegantly decorated with dark woods and leather furniture. I remembered my mom and Aunt Beverly scouring magazines for hours trying to come up with just the right looks for the office. No expense was spared in making it a welcoming and comfortable place to spend time.
Jeff stood and rounded the desk, engulfing me in a hug. At just under six feet tall, he wasn’t much taller than me. What he was though was unbelievably handsome. His dark hair and dark eyes gave him a bad boy look, while his trimmed hair and custom made suit made him look tame. It was a very striking contrast that got him laid far too frequently.
“Tori, I just got your message. What’s going on?” He let go of me and turned to Kim. “And who might your lovely friend be?”
I introduced the two of them and was oddly fascinated when Jeff kissed her hand, but I had far better things to worry about than whether or not they would hook up.
“Annabelle had my car repossessed today since it’s in dad’s name. You know he couldn’t sign off on that. She’s being a bitch!”
He looked uncomfortable for a moment. “I was afraid this was going to happen.”
“Afraid what was going to happen? Why are you being so cryptic? And why haven’t you given me any updates?”
“Have a seat and I’ll explain.” We settled in the seating area with two plush couches and a chair. Jeff sat in a chair across from Kim and me on a couch. “I hired a Private Investigator to see what we could come up with on Annabelle. Let’s just say, I found out she’s been sleeping with numerous people. One of which is my brother.”
I gasped at that news. Holy shit! “Rich?”
He nodded and continued, “Yes. Unfortunately, I had talked to him about what we had decided on taking her down, prior to finding out about their affair. I was afraid she’d get desperate once she found out what was happening. Anyway, Rich resigned from the company and set up alliance with her. Things have been a little crazy here with him gone, which is why I haven’t had a chance to communicate any of this to you. I truly think he plans on living off the trust fund our mother’s father left him and the inheritance that Annabelle plans on getting from Uncle Larry.”
That was absolutely disgusting. I couldn’t believe my father and the rest of my family was being betrayed by Rich. He always considered himself the black sheep of the family, so acting out wasn’t anything new for him. The degree to which he was turning on us wasn’t anything I would have expected though. Everyone knew Annabelle was a gold digging slut, no one realized Rich was too.
“What are we going to do?” I sat back and shook my head. This was one of the worst case scenarios we could have encountered in this debacle.
“Let me give you one of my cars to drive. It’s the least I could do since I was stupid enough to trust my brother.”
“I couldn’t.”
“You can and you will. I still have the investigator digging. It’s going to take time and you’ll need a mode of transportation.”
“Time we don’t have,” I murmured and off of the impending tears. “Dad could be dead before anything changes.”
He nodded solemnly. He knew how hard it was going to be when my father passed, especially if I wasn’t there to be with him. Jeff was away on a trip with some friends when his father died. I knew it still haunted him, much the same way it was sure to do the same to me.
“I’ll do everything I can to see to it that you get to see him again, Tori. That’s my vow. Do you still have a key to my house?”
“Yeah.” I double checked my key ring.
“Good. Let yourself in and choose whichever car you want. All the keys are kept in the wooden cabinet on the wall in my office.” Jeff stood and walked us to the door. “I’m really sorry, Tori. I feel like this is my fault for not being careful enough.”
I stepped into him and wrapped my arms around his middle. “This isn’t your fault, so stop saying that. We’ll figure it out and thanks for the ride.”
He chuckled and gave me a squeeze before letting me go and opening the door. “It was nice to meet you, Kim. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you now that you’re friends with my cousin.”
Kim blushed and agreed.
Walking out of the offices, I couldn’t help the overwhelming dismay and melancholy that settled over me. Getting out of this shit felt near impossible at the moment.
* * *
Jay
I was sitting in a restaurant in Deep Ellum when a sweet ass, white Bentley GT Speed convertible with red interior and rims pulled up to the curb. The chick who climbed out had long, fucking legs and an ass that begged to be fucked. I felt a smile tug at my lips when I realized who it was. It was like watching a God damn music video with the sexy way she flipped her hair and strutted around to the sidewalk.
Damn, my cock sure as fuck wanted a piece of Tori. Here I was sitting in a meeting with Kyla, the head of my marketing division, and I had to fight getting hard just watching Tori walk into a restaurant.
That kiss from last night had been on my mind way too much today. She was a dangerous little distraction that I couldn’t seem to
get enough of. Knowing what parts of her story Jerome was able to get, I knew I should stay away from her. Her life had drama written all over it. Problem was, after the vulnerability that she showed me last night, I had an urge to protect the soft spot that I was sure she didn’t show many people. Tori wasn’t about people feeling sorry for her. And that just made the protective part of me eager to shield her from all the bad swirling around her.
She walked in with a curly haired girl with blonde hair. She was wearing a pair of short, tight jean shorts and a floral shirt with thin spaghetti straps and tiered ruffles going down the length of it, each tier a different pattern. She looked like a chic hippy. Tori worked every look I’d seen her in. She was just that fly.
I stood as the waitress brought her by my table. Her face lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July when she saw me. As soon as our eyes met, I knew I was in there. And not just in there, but in there. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she had been thinking about me much the same way I had been thinking of her.
“Hey,” she said softly and immediately went in for a hug. Full body contact. I liked that.
“Hey, baby,” I murmured in her ear before pulling away.
Tori took one look at my lunch date, and her face turned as white as a ghost. Hurt flashed in her eyes, and I watched her visibly straighten her shoulders as she faced me.
“Yes, well, it was good to see you, Jayson,” she said all business like and I had to fight a grin. Little did Tori know, but I didn’t fuck anyone at work. Unless you were an artist, of course. Then you were fair game. If my name was on your check though, that shit did not happen. The last thing I needed were lawsuits against me after hitting it and then walking away.
“Tori, let me introduce you to Kyla. She’s Vice President of Marketing at Rucker Records.”
Kyla stood up and you could see her faint baby bump. She was shorter than Tori at just over five feet, and she was married to one of the lawyers who worked for me.
The women shook hands and introduced themselves. Tori looked over at me with a sheepish look on her face. “I better get back to my friend.”
“You working tonight?” I placed my hand on the soft skin of her arm to stop her from walking away from me.
She shook her head. “No. It’s my day off.”
I had to admit I was disappointed she wasn’t working tonight, but then I realized that only meant a lot more free time alone with her outside of Lace. Yeah, that could definitely work to my advantage. Because tonight Tori Watson was going to be under me, screaming my name while I fucked the shit out of her.
“Want to hook up later?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip both unsure and disappointed. “I only got three hours of sleep last night. Some shit happened and I spent most of my day trying to sort it out. I’ll probably crash and won’t be much company.”
I looked over her face and realized she did look tired. But still, I had a great way to relax her, and it came in the form of a couple long, hard orgasms.
“This got to do with you pulling up in a Bentley?” I asked, remembering the sexy entrance she made in a car other than the one I’d seen her in before.
“Yeah. It’s a long story, but basically it’s a loaner.”
“Why don’t I come over around seven? I’ll bring some dinner and you can tell me your long story. I’ll be sure to tuck you in early enough that you’ll get plenty of beauty rest.”
Her lips parted at my statement and she made me start getting hard again picturing her looking up at me like that tonight when I was buried deep inside her. Fuck, she was killing me.
“Okay. I’ll text you my address.” We had exchanged phone numbers a few nights ago, but she had yet to use it.
“No need, baby.”
She cocked her head to the side and looked confused. “How are you going to know where I live if I don’t give you my address?”
“I know everything,” I teased.
“Stalker!” She gave me a sexy little grin before leaning in and kissing my cheek. “I’ll see you later then, stallion.”
I heard Kyla choke on a laugh as Tori gifted me a nice view of her ass swaying its way over to her table.
“Don’t start,” I warned as I returned to my seat.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean, stallion.” At that, Kyla started giggling, and I knew I was done for. That was sure to be around the label before the end of the day. Little Miss Tori was going to get it tonight.
Chapter Six
Tori
I looked at myself in the mirror and cursed myself for being so concerned about my appearance. Jay and I were just friends. Friends who flirted with each other and maybe sometimes kissed. Okay, and hopefully did some more racy things to each other too.
Who was I kidding? I wanted to jump him like he was holding the last pair Jimmy Choo’s in my size. It was so easy to forget his past and status as a player and focus on how he made me feel. I lusted for him. I liked him. I respected him as a person. I considered him a friend and confidant. Sleeping with him might jeopardize that.
Overthinking tended to get the better of me, so I decided it was best if I just focused on the here and now, not worry about what could happen. If we slept together, I’d worry about what it meant for our future then. Agonizing over it now was only going to give me high blood pressure and a stomach ache.
I sprayed the couch with the bottle of Febreeze I had bought earlier that day. I could already tell the difference in the smell of the old thing after the application I did a few hours before.
Glancing around the room, I took stock of my cleaning endeavors. Laundry was done, folded and crammed into the chest of drawers and the tiny closet in my room. I bought a duster and cleaned off all the flat surfaces in the place. I borrowed Kim’s vacuum cleaner and gave it a quick pass. I even washed all the dishes and tidied up all the odds and ends I had been throwing on the kitchen table the last few weeks.
I was proud of myself for being so domesticated. I always took for granted having someone to clean up after me. It was exhilarating to know I could take care of myself. Was the place clean enough to eat off the floor? No. But it sure as hell was cleaner than it had been, and I could take all the credit for it!
A knock on the door had me racing to open it. I stopped with my hand on the knob and took a deep, cleansing breath before opening it. Jay stood on the other side looking gorgeous with a bag in his hand from an Italian restaurant that I knew from experience had the best food. He was wearing jeans that were tighter than what I was used to seeing on him and a blue, long sleeve henley that made his eyes pop even more than usual. The sleeves were pushed up over his forearms, allowing me to see how strong and muscular they were.
His casual dress made me feel better about wearing yoga pants and a long, crocheted knit sweater that hung off one shoulder, with a cami underneath it.
Just looking at Jay made me feel more relaxed. I smiled at him and let him in the apartment. He set the bag on the kitchen table and took the place in with raised eyebrows. I suddenly felt really self-conscious, which sucked since I just got done feeling proud.
“Baby, you don’t belong in a place like this,” he commented after he walked the length of the apartment and poked his head into my bedroom. “A woman like you should be sleeping on fancy sheets and relaxing on a chaise lounge eating bonbons. Not spending her time in a bread box that smells musty and looks like it was last updated in the seventies. Not to mention that the lack of security here is alarming to the say the least.”
“You are such an asshole. How dare you come in here and judge me? This might not be the luxury you or I am accustomed to, but it works and I’m not ashamed of it. So you can go fuck yourself!” I said with irritation. I didn’t want him to think he could waltz into my apartment and look down his nose at me.
“Do you know where I came from?” He said with a deceptively calm voice. I had a feeling he was barely controlling his emotions.
I shook my head because I didn�
��t. Jay never told me anything overtly personal. It was usually me telling him about my life and thoughts.
“I came from the fucking projects. Cockroaches, stale food, and fucking holes in our furniture were the norm. I’m not putting you and your shit down. I’m stating a fucking fact. You aren’t safe here and you sure as fuck don’t belong here.”
I felt like a world class jerk for jumping to conclusions and assuming I knew what his motives were, so I chose that moment to point out a very stupid fact. “That was a lot of fucks for one statement, Jay. Even for you.”
He stared at me for several moments and I had to stop myself from fidgeting under his watch. Then his serious face cracked and his lips twitched. “Shit. A second ago I was ready to wring your neck for being a bitch, and now I wanna laugh.”
I shrugged and gave him a small smile. “It’s because I’m impossibly adorable and witty. You can’t stay mad at me.”
“Come here,” he commanded, and my body instantly complied. I walked the ten steps to him, and he wrapped his arms around me. “Give me some sugar, baby.”
My insides curled in anticipation at his words. I lifted on my toes to close the few inches between our mouths. As soon as my lips met his, he took over. His kiss was hard, wet and left me breathless. He rested his forehead on mine and stared into my eyes. “Dinner. If you give me that mouth again, all I’m going to be eating is you.”
“Okay,” I let out on a shaky breath. I really wouldn’t have objected to that scenario.
We piled chicken parmesan and spaghetti on some plates and sat on the couch, eating at the coffee table while we watched The Hangover on cable.
“I think it’s dumb that they’ve made so many sequels to this movie. I mean, how many times can the same group of people lose one of its members, leading them to go on a wild goose chase to figure out what happened the night before and where their friend is?”
Urban Love Prophecy Page 5