Without Apology

by Aubrey Bondurant

  I froze. I was too stunned to move as an older version of Peyton, one with shorter hair, appeared.

  She stared at me with her eyes wide. “Holy fucking shit.”

  I wouldn’t have pictured those words coming out of a mum’s mouth, but there they were. Why was she barging into Peyton’s house without so much as a knock?

  “Uh, hello,” I awkwardly greeted.

  “Hello. You must be Simon? Hopefully. Because if not, my sister is definitely still pissed at him, if you’re someone different.”

  I was rendered momentarily speechless but, thankfully, recovered. “I’m Simon.”

  She grinned. “Lucky you, then.”

  “Right. Um, let me put on some more clothes.”

  But before I could do so, a man came in right behind her. “You forgot the flowers—” In his hand was a bouquet of tulips he handed to the woman I assumed was his wife.

  “Oh, hello there.” His eyes bounced between me and her. “I’m, Kevin and the woman still drooling over your non-dad bod is my wife, Jen, Peyton’s sister.”

  I stepped forward to take his outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you both.” Unbelievably fucking awkward. “Peyton is still asleep.”

  “Nope, I’m up.” Peyton’s voice came from the hall before she arrived herself in a fuzzy robe, mouthing I’m sorry. She looked at her sister. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “The walk. Cooper. Remember? Plus, it gives us the chance to finally meet the elusive non-showing Simon.”

  Ouch. The protective older sister apparently wasn’t very forgiving about last night. “I regret I was unable to make it last evening.”

  Surprisingly, Peyton came to my defense. “He’s here now. And don’t you knock?”

  Jen shrugged unapologetically. “I figured you were sleeping, and we’d sneak in, grab Cooper, leave flowers and a note, then go. The girls are in the van.”

  I supposed I should be thankful the children had been spared seeing me half naked. “I’m going to put on a shirt.”

  “Now, that would be a shame. Just let us grab Cooper, and you two can go back to doing whatever it is couples without kids do on a Sunday morning—it’s been so long I can’t remember.”

  “Wait. I need to feed him before he goes,” Peyton remembered.

  “I already did,” I told her. “Two scoops, right?”

  She gave me a smile as she patted Cooper. “That’s right.”

  “Aww. He got up and fed your dog. That’s sweet and a bit redeemable.” This came from Jen, who was currently being pushed out the door by her husband.

  “Let’s leave them, honey. Nice to meet you, Simon. We’ll be back around noon, you kids.”

  Finally, the door shut, and Peyton erupted in laughter. “I forgot they were coming by this morning.”

  I enveloped her in my arms. “Good thing I thought to put on trousers.”

  She giggled again. “I think my sister would’ve preferred you not to. Sorry, she can be a bit much.”

  “She’s just protective. I get it. Guess I should be glad I am Simon.” I filled her in on what Jen had said.

  Peyton laughed. “Wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. For the record, I’m glad you’re Simon, too.”

  “What’s a dad-bod by the way?”

  “I think it’s a nice way of saying ‘out of shape’ due to being a dad to three children.”

  “Ah. Now, then. Back to the morning activities I thought we’d be in the middle of by now.”

  “Mm,” she hummed as I kissed her neck. I took her off guard when I lifted her up onto the countertop.

  My hand went straight for her pussy, already finding her wet for me. “Any chance they’re coming back sooner than expected?” The last thing I wanted was for them to step through the door again.

  “Nope. They have a charity walk thing. Oh, God, Simon,” she moaned my name when I inserted two fingers, stretching her before pulling them out in order to get the condom out of my back pocket. When I peeled off her robe, I found her naked underneath, much to my delight.

  Now that she was flicking my nipples with her tongue, I couldn’t get inside of her fast enough. Once I unzipped my trousers, she took control of the condom, rolling it down my length. I didn’t waste any time thrusting inside of her. Sliding her ass to the edge of the countertop, I grunted when she hooked her legs around me, pulling me deeper inside of her.

  She was the perfect fit around my cock, squeezing me tightly and making me feel like I couldn’t get enough. But I doubted the countertop was comfortable. I kicked aside my slacks one leg at a time so I wouldn’t end up falling over while carrying her.

  Tensing when my cell phone started buzzing, I willed myself not to answer it. It could wait.

  “Hold onto me.” With her legs wrapped around me, I moved towards the bedroom. I hoped from there I wouldn’t hear the voicemail chime or be distracted by work. “Bed or shower?”

  “Shower, so I can wash you after, then put you in my mouth.”

  Good Lord. This girl would be the death of me. A very happy death indeed. I stumbled through the house into her shower, forgetting for a moment the water would take a moment to heat up and dousing both of us in the cold spray.

  She shrieked, “Cold, cold, cold.”

  I laughed. We kissed with me putting her against the shower wall and then thrusting up deeply into her. As soon as she started careening over the edge with her orgasm, I was over the edge with mine. The vice grip of her pussy left me no choice but to ground out my climax deep inside of her.

  “Hot, hot, hot,” she started yelping, making me realize I was now scalding the two of us with the spray of the water. I turned the knob for the water temperature and found a happy medium before letting her down slowly. Her grin was contagious.

  “Well, then. Good morning.”

  I chuckled, all thoughts of anything but the beautiful woman in front of me gone. “Good morning to you, too.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Simon

  I’d missed two calls from Tom on Sunday while I was with Peyton, but he hadn’t left a message. When I sent him a text that night, he simply texted in reply that he’d talk to me tomorrow. Fine by me. Now it was Monday morning, and at eight o’clock I was on my way to the office, having pulled myself away from Peyton early enough to go back to my temporary apartment, shower, and change into a fresh suit.

  Luckily, we’d taken a break yesterday and been dressed in time for me to meet her nieces when they’d dropped off Cooper in the afternoon. I’d even managed to convince them I knew who the hell Peppa the Pig was simply because we were all British. I’d have to get Emma to help me find something piggish by Friday night since we’d been invited for a do-over dinner then at Peyton’s sister’s house.

  I was hell-bent not to let work interfere this time. But first I needed to patch things up with my assistant. Not that Emma would ever let on, but she had a fragile heart under her tough exterior, and on Saturday night I’d taken out my frustration on her. Although we maintained a professional working relationship, she was one of the most important people in my life on a personal level, too.

  “Hi,” I greeted when I stepped into the office. She was here earlier than usual.

  “Hello.” She looked up and then paused when she noticed the box in my hands. “What is that?”

  “This is a half dozen macadamia nut cinnamon rolls.” Although she might watch her carbs, I knew this was one of her few weaknesses.

  She expelled a breath. “You apologize by trying to get me fat?”

  I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing because she’d already taken the box from my hands and opened the lid. The smell was divine.

  “Good Lord. My extra gym time may be worth it. How did things work out for you on Saturday night?”

  “Better than I deserved.”

  “Good. Now take one of these before I inhale them all. But do not, I repeat, do not let Tom get any. I will chop off his hand if he so much as touches one. He is not wort
hy.”

  I chuckled. “Understood. And thank you.”

  She swallowed hard. Neither one of us was comfortable with the mushy stuff. But she meant a lot to me, and though I might not be able to apologize, I could still be grateful.

  “You’re fucking welcome,” she snapped. “Now leave before I make us both uncomfortable by acting like a girl.”

  I nabbed a roll and went into my office. I was in a good mood until Tom arrived an hour later, inviting himself into my office first thing.

  “I tried to reach you yesterday,” he declared.

  “I was busy. And I texted you back.”

  He frowned. “You’re busy a lot lately.”

  “Yes, I am. Which begs the question why you’re wasting my time right now with inane conversation.”

  He flushed red, hating when I put him in his place. “Fine. Wanted to let you know I’m handling the second look at all of the manual spreadsheets.”

  “Good.” In other words, he was actually doing his job. “Continue to handle it. So long as it isn’t anything that will jeopardize the sale, there is no reason for you to bother me with it.”

  I was tired of having to micromanage him. Time for him to step up to the plate and figure out some things for himself. He was the accountant in charge of the numbers. I didn’t intend to lose any more valuable time with Peyton or miss events simply because I had to do his job, too.

  Emma came in, pointedly ignoring Tom as she often did. “Sorry to interrupt, but George just rang. He’s coming in this afternoon to make the announcement about CFO. He wanted me to ensure that Peyton will be there. I’m assuming that means she got the promotion?”

  I had to school my features into mild disinterest rather than match Emma’s smile. “Yes. Phillip mentioned he thought they’d make that decision and inform us later today. He must’ve rang George first.”

  Tom was instantly agitated. “Seriously? They picked her over the guy from JP Morgan? Unbelievable.”

  “It appears they did.”

  “It’ll be all well and good until she starts popping out babies and needs to take maternity leave or rush home for pageants and baseball games. We wouldn’t have that issue with the other candidates.”

  “You’re such a misogynist pig,” Emma commented, not at all wrong in her assessment.

  “I’m calling the truth how I see it, honey,” Tom fired back. “Not everyone can be as cold as you, not wanting the family and white picket fence. But Peyton has it written all over her.”

  “Enough.” Not only did I loathe their sniping, but Tom was way out of line. And I hated the thought of Peyton starting a family with anyone but me.

  Whoa. Where the hell had that thought come from? I had to swallow my panic and counter Tom.

  “If you have an opinion, Tom, then keep it to yourself. You are a walking lawsuit, saying things like that. And if you want to contradict the board’s decision, then I’ll convey your dissenting opinion.”

  He turned red, certainly not about to disagree with his uncle’s carefully selected board. “I don’t understand why we didn’t do the interviews.”

  “Because it wasn’t your call. It was mine. And I know you aren’t second-guessing my authority on this, especially now that you’ve shown your bias.”

  “No.” But I could tell he was tempted to. Finally, he let it go. “I need to run downstairs and get some more information from Jeff before he finds out he didn’t get the promotion.”

  “You do that, then. Furthermore, you breathe one word to anyone about your opinion regarding Peyton getting the job, and I’ll ensure this is the last deal you ever do with me. I don’t care who you’re related to. Clear?”

  He gritted his teeth. “Clear.”

  I don’t think Emma or I took a breath until we heard Tom exit the office.

  “I fucking hate that guy.”

  “Right there with you,” I muttered, taking her off guard. Normally, I would tell her to keep her opinion to herself.

  “Do you want me to get champagne for tonight? I assume you want to celebrate with her.”

  It would be nice to surprise her. “No. I’ll take care of it.” I had just the thing in mind.

  ***

  Normally, my Ice Man façade came to me easily. I’d perfected it so over the years that, unfortunately, it had become natural. Yet it took every reserve I had to sit in the crowded conference room and listen to George announce Peyton as the next CFO without standing up and clapping. I wanted to march up there to engulf her in a hug or, at the very least, wink while mouthing congratulations. But I could do none of that. Frankly, there wasn’t a good reason for me to attend the announcement, but I’d simply had to.

  Peyton looked stunned at the news even though I knew George had told her minutes before this announcement. Once her surprise wore off, she appeared grateful to him, giving him a hug that was heartfelt. But most of all, the vibe in the room took on a different feeling altogether.

  Relief.

  It was as though all of the employees felt calmed that, in the midst of change, one of their own had been promoted from within. That she would somehow protect them. Just as quickly as this thought hit me, another followed. How much pressure was on her shoulders. I now understood the anxiety and trepidation she’d had about traveling to New York for the interview. It had been about more than her fear of flying. No wonder she’d jumped to read things as signs she shouldn’t get the job. Because she wasn’t taking this position for herself. She was doing it for them. Because she hadn’t wanted to let them down.

  Suddenly, I was swept up with an emotion I hadn’t been prepared for, yet should’ve seen coming. I was falling for this woman. She encompassed warmth and compassion. She had the ability to make me feel as if I was living life instead of simply going through the motions. Funny how, until now, I’d never considered that was what I’d been doing.

  I swallowed hard, needing to leave. I wanted a minute alone to get a handle on my emotions. After perfecting the art of shutting them off, feelings were very foreign to me, and I feared the flood gates opening.

  If that happened, it certainly wouldn’t be in line with the reputation I’d built.

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  Peyton

  I caught sight of it in the faces of my coworkers. Joy. Relief. Excitement.

  Hell, Megan had tears in her eyes. Everyone around me was buzzing with the news I’d become the new CFO. George had come by my office before the announcement to ensure I would accept, but I’d still been in shock. It hadn’t sunk in yet. I’d spotted Simon in the back of the room, but then he’d disappeared. Although it wasn’t as if he could come up and give me a hug in front of everyone.

  Now, as the day had passed and the clock turned five-thirty, I sat alone in my office with the door shut, badly in need of a shot of something to calm my growing anxiety. George had given me a bottle of Macallan 1851 whiskey as a gift. I could bet it was outrageously priced, but right now that didn’t matter. On the other hand, once I inhaled the scent of the aged whiskey, I realized a shot would be a crime as this was whiskey meant to be savored. So instead, I poured a bit into my coffee mug and sipped it slowly, letting the burn slide down my throat and into my belly. Fortunately, it was so smooth the burn was fleeting, but it did serve to relax me.

  I glanced at the picture of my parents on my desk. Would my father be proud? Would my mother be worried I, too, would fall into the trap of work first, family second? I was conflicted. Part of me rejoiced that I’d gotten a position based on all of the hard work I’d done over the years. The other part feared what this job would mean if I ever wanted to start a family of my own.

  The thought had me picture Simon. Then frown. We’d crossed over from the land of casual into something more serious, but to what end? Till the end of the week. On Friday he would come over to my sister’s house for a barbeque, and then by Saturday, he’d most likely be on a plane back to New York or his next assignment. Although I’d meant to keep my emotions tucked into the
box labeled short term—no feelings allowed, they had snuck out and into the land of you’re going to be hurt come Saturday.

  A knock on the door had me putting the bourbon away in my bag.

  “Come in.”

  It was Jeff, which surprised me. But when he shut my door, it put me on edge.

  “I guess congratulations are in order.”

  Funny how he’d phrased it that way. As if he was acknowledging congratulations should be given without actually giving them.

  “Thank you.”

  He glanced around my office, but he didn’t sit.

  “I have to say I was shocked to hear you got on a plane and went to New York for the interview. I thought you didn’t fly.”

  I had no qualms about bending the truth, believing he’d use it against me if he could. “I’m under the impression a lot of people had the same thought.”

  He studied me, and I wondered what his game was.

  “There’ll be a lot of changes. A lot more work for you. Guess you won’t be settling down anytime soon.”

  Because he and I weren’t close enough for him to know what I wanted, I figured he had to be fishing. Had to be trying to find a button to push.

  “What are you implying?”

  “Only saying if you wanted to start a family, it would be tough to do so while employed in this position. Given the travel and the hours. Not to mention, you’ll have plenty of people waiting to see if you fail.”

  I wouldn’t let him see he was hitting on the very reason I’d been drinking whiskey before he’d come in. “I would say to anyone hoping I don’t succeed that it doesn’t bode well for a conducive working relationship. Matter of fact, I’d suggest to any person with the mindset of waiting for their boss to fail that they should look for a new job.”

  His face was turning red. “Is that a threat?”

  I smiled sweetly. “That would assume we were talking about you. I was simply stating something generically. And as far as my personal life is concerned, for all you know, I’m already married with three kids. It’s none of your business. Now, if there isn’t anything else, please see your way out of my office.”