Family Business (Mixing Business with Pleasure Book 3)

by Ace Gray

  "Sweets, I can't hold on much longer. Come with me.” His voice was ragged. "Please."

  He was begging and I loved it. All I could do was nod and give in to the sensations building inside of me. I felt his cum pour into me just as I started rippling up his hardness.

  I cried out loudly before he closed his lips down on mine. He kissed me with an urgency and adoration I'd never felt before, not even from him. I couldn't do anything but whimper when he let me gulp for air. The waves of orgasm kept rolling through my body, warmth spreading through my limbs as he stayed inside me.

  Nick kept my arms pinned far overhead as he started kissing down my body. He moved down to my breasts and showered each in kisses. He used his tongue, gently, to raise my nipples up to his mouth. He let out a warm breath on first one, then the other, and my entire body shivered under him.

  He pressed his lips to the skin over my heart and kissed it ardently. Goose bumps rose to pepper his lips. He closed his eyes and turned to lay his head on my chest. He slipped out of me and let my wrists go, choosing instead to wrap his arms up around my neck and pull me even closer. Nick wanted to listen to my heart. It couldn't help but hammer a little at the tenderness.

  My hands slowly came back to life, finding their way into his hair and gently combing through the locks. My nails grazed his skin or massaged in small circles. After a few minutes, he used my contented purr against me.

  The MMMmmm was barely audible but my heart leapt in response. The pound reverberated against his cheek and his smile pulled up against my skin.

  We lay there, tangled in each other until I shivered underneath him. Nick immediately moved to find something. When he couldn't find a blanket, he reluctantly held out my clothes. I used his wrist to pull myself off the floor. He crouched to help me step into my pants and I used his shoulder for support as I dipped one toe then other into the denim. He pulled them up wordlessly and kissed my forehead as he zipped the fly into place. After shrugging into my shirt, I noticed his eyes had clouded.

  Oh no.

  "Penny for your thoughts, baby?" I wove my hands around him, partially to console, partially to keep him from bolting if he’d changed his mind.

  "I'm happy, very happy.” He kissed my forehead again.

  "But?"

  "But it's hard to know my mom won't be here. She would’ve loved a grandchild. God knows she had to have given up hope on me ever having one."

  I gripped his waist as tightly as I could.

  "She never gave up on you, baby." I nuzzled into his chest. "I don't know if that makes it better or worse but you have to know that.”

  I kissed his chest where the warm skin ran under my lips. I felt him shudder and press his lips to my head where it rested under his chin.

  “You won’t give up on me, right?” he asked, staying tender.

  His hands moved up to my face. He brushed them through my hair and wove them into my tangled locks. He used his cradled hands to shift my eyes up to meet his.

  “Never.” I smiled, “I couldn’t if I tried.”

  “It’s not going to be easy. I’m not going to be good at it.” He smiled when I leaned into his palm.

  “You’re probably going to be great. You always are. I’m going to be a wreck. I already am a wreck.” I turned to kiss his palm where it held my cheek. “We’ll have each other though?”

  “Always. I love you, Kate."

  “I love you too,” I whispered. His lips locked on mine and we stayed frozen in that kiss—that honest, wonderful, sweet kiss—for what seemed like an eternity.

  32.

  "Ms. Elliott." Cassie's voice rang across the intercom. My son’s nonsensical babbling laced the background. "Gemma is here with Wells."

  Shit.

  It couldn't be 3 p.m. yet. I had far too much to do before leaving the office.

  "Cassie, buy me fifteen minutes." I was abrupt, even forceful.

  "Ummm, okay boss."

  It wasn't what she had wanted to hear. Bryant had given explicit orders that we were leaving at 3 o'clock exactly. Gemma, Cassie, Julien, Jaime, Colton, Terrence and a few others had gotten the Bryant or else.

  The last thing I wanted to do was anger him, but being out of the office for sixteen days was a serious request. They really couldn’t leave without me anyway. Not even Nicholas Bryant could have a wedding without a bride.

  Though if you don’t hurry your ass up, there is a very real chance you’ll say your vows pissed.

  I shook my head. I had precious few moments before Nick burst through my door and I needed to focus for each and every one.

  Vesper business had been easy and wrapped since 9 a.m. Everything else remaining on my plate was more beastly. I caught the glint of my engagement ring as I picked up my pen and was instantly sucked down memory lane, thinking back over the past two and a half years, every moment since I’d found out I was pregnant.

  Prior to Wells' birth, I had restructured as Nick suggested, eventually folding Vesper fully into the Bryant Venture Group portfolio. We’d put a million contracts in place, making me an equal partner in the entire corporation. The negotiations had been tumultuous to say the least. It hadn’t helped that the deal was the talk of the New York business scene, every single person had thought we were making an asinine move.

  I’d been in agreement. Nick and I had gone far past ten rounds, and in front of legal no less. Nick ended the argument by shouting, "If I couldn’t share this with you, I wouldn't share a God damn thing!" then spanking me while nine lawyers sat just outside the conference room. The result was a bruised ass and a new title—Chief Creative Officer of the largest company in Manhattan.

  The only pause was simply that, a pause. My maternity leave lasted only two weeks. Wells Trevor Bryant was born on a freakishly hot September day almost two years ago. Mercifully, besides feeling like I was walking on the sun during my last trimester, my pregnancy was easy.

  Nick had found me both incredibly attractive and delightfully amusing while pregnant. He iced my ankles after I insisted on wearing the highest heels I owned, even at nine months. He accommodated every single craving I had, even grabbing cronuts, personally, many mornings. He even helped me with my own odd form of nesting, in which I'd undertaken massive projects both work and remodel related.

  As promised our sex life had not wavered. And thank God, because I’d never been so horny in my entire life. The wrong fabric would have me barging into Nick’s office, completely unannounced, begging for an afternoon orgasm. Most of the time he was more than willing to oblige then send me back across the lobby we now shared.

  Once he arrived, Wells was an amazing baby and I was floored. Nick took easier to parenthood than I did, just as predicted. He must have talked the universe into adding more hours into the day as he easily made time for both of us and the business. Effortlessly. I loved my little boy as soon as he arrived but the whole baby thing was not second nature to me. Nick's unwavering support and reassurance was the only thing that got me through the first six months.

  Well, him and Gemma.

  She’d happily transitioned to my personal assistant when I announced I was pregnant, helping me manage things I couldn’t trust anyone outside my immediate family with. That’s what she’d become after all. When Wells arrived, she naturally focused on him, becoming a nanny before any of us really realized. Now she was waiting in the lobby with Wells, ready to head to my Hamptons house for the long awaited Elliott - Bryant wedding.

  My office door slowly creaked open and it snapped me back to the present.

  “Your mother is being naughty isn't she Wells. She was supposed to ready to leave seven minutes ago." I looked up to find my boys nose to nose in the doorframe. Nick was tickling Well's belly but his deep blue eyes shifted to meet mine. "She's lucky she's wearing my favorite glasses. If she packs up now, all may be forgiven." I found it adorable when he used Wells to talk to me, never slipping into baby talk.

  “Nick, I need a few more minutes. The marketing material
s for the new development in Brooklyn are in and they're shit. They have to go to print on Monday and before you tell me we need to go, or that traffic is building, or we've hired the people to fucking take care of this, I'm going on record as saying leave it. And leave me the hell alone. I'll have it done shortly."

  "You said you'd stop swearing in front of Wells. He tries to repeat things now. I'd rather he didn't learn shit or fuck."

  "You're swearing in front of Wells." I returned my gaze to my work.

  "I'm proving a point and you know it." They came closer to my desk and I tried not to focus on Wells babbling or the adorable way he pulled at Nick's tie. I almost succeeded but then they came closer and Wells to started repeating “mama” over and over.

  I was busy writing all over the flyer mockup in bright red pen but could see Wells making grabby hands at me from the corner of my eye. He started screeching a shrill, delighted sound and wiggling wildly. He always kept this up until I took him. I barely broke my gaze from the papers in front of me as I reached up. Nick helped propped him on my knee as I returned most of my attention to the slicks in front of me.

  Nick turned toward the windows and started pacing back and forth, first taking in the view then stalking elsewhere throughout my office. I simply continued my notes. Particularly since he hadn’t technically ordered I stop. Wells reached for my face, his tiny fingers pulling at my hair and lips. I paused only long enough to nibble playfully at his fingers. He shrieked again, utterly thrilled, and I returned to my work. He started in at my glasses next.

  "Wells, no, I need those." I pulled his hand away and kissed his knuckles.

  This is why I asked Cassie to buy me time.

  "Kate, send that down to Scott and let's go.” Nick sighed as Wells ripped my glasses from my face.

  “Nick, if Scott could take care of this I wouldn't be editing in the first place.” I arched my eyebrow at the baby. “Wells, I said no."

  “Send it down and let it go, Kate.”

  "Oh for fuck’s sake Nick, you let it go. I’m assuming that you made me CCO because you like the direction I move in creatively not just because you decided to placate me. I have things to do and you will just have to wait.” I hadn't meant to raise my voice but there my temper was, bubbling up in my throat.

  We glowered at each other while Wells snatched my glasses again and wildly flailed his arms. I had to break my glare to swipe my glasses and keep Wells from poking me in the eye. At least the baby was still happy, chattering away in my lap. At the moment he was the only one.

  I made a goofy face at him as I pushed the glasses back into place. When I looked up to stare down Nick again, he was gone.

  "Hi darling." Gemma smiled as she and Jaime walked into the room. She was talking to me but reaching for Wells. "I was instructed to take the little one. Everything okay?"

  "I'm still working." We'd been in this situation too many times together; I didn't need to say anything else.

  "Well then.” She cringed and collected Wells from my lap.

  Once his feet were on the floor he started scampering around the room.

  "Kate, we have about 20 minutes until traffic gets very ugly. If you want to get out there today, I’d recommend now." Jaime was simply providing an update, there was nothing forceful about it.

  "Jaime, feel free to tell Bryant that it's duly noted." My eyes flew back to the paper and I desperately tried to focus on finishing.

  "I'm Bryant now?" Nick had reappeared.

  I only looked up to shoot him a withering look. I noticed his eyes weren't blue anymore. They looked to be stormy, swirling puddles.

  Shit.

  We were going to go a few rounds. That's why he’d sent Gemma in for Wells.

  "What are you going to call me once you're a Bryant too? Won't have quite the same condescending effect now will it."

  "It's not condescending," I snarled.

  Gemma spoke under her breath. She was close enough that I caught the tail end of, “Jaime, out." She spun on her heel with Jaime poised to follow.

  "Stay," Nick barked.

  Great, we’re all in trouble.

  His eyes narrowed at me. "I have a favor to ask of you two."

  Nope, just me.

  "Of course sir,” Jaime answered at the same time Gemma did, "anything Nicholas."

  I wanted to yell traitors at both of them and pound my fists on my desk. I would have if Nick wasn't so obviously worked up.

  "Would you two please take Wells to the house? You can drive Kate's car.”

  “Hey, but I…" I interrupted but the look Nick shot me stopped me dead in my tracks.

  "We will follow later."

  Gemma looked over at me and I shrugged. I wasn't thrilled but I also wasn't going to dig myself a deeper hole.

  "Julien!" Bryant roared out the door.

  Julien scrambled in and Nick doled out orders. He wanted a helicopter standing by at the 34th Street heliport and the Porsche delivered to the building. Between Julien, Colton, and Terrence everything was taken care of rather quickly.

  I tried to ignore all the commotion and finish the work in front of me. If this is what had started the whole argument, I sure as hell was going to complete it.

  When the car arrived, I stopped just long enough to thank Gemma and Jaime and kiss Wells goodbye. I returned to my desk quickly, trying to ignore the churn of my stomach at the impending face-off. I may have audibly gulped when Bryant dismissed both Cassie and Julien for the weekend, knowing full well we were alone on the floor without them. I was scrambling to get through the last little bit of promotional material when the door lock clicked.

  "Put it down, Kate. Now.” His voice was a raspy grumble I wasn't ready to brawl with. I set the red pen and the marketing slicks down. I watched Nick walk from his spot in the doorway to the windows behind my desk. My heart started to race. "I wasn't asking you to walk away from work for something trivial. You understand that right?" He wasn't as scary as he’d been moments ago but he was still obviously pissed.

  He pulled his blue tie out from under his vest and unknotted it, slipping it from his collar. He shrugged out of his jacket as well before laying both on the bookcase along my wall. He looked devastatingly handsome in the simple shirt and the gray vest that remained. He spoke as he artfully rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.

  "I've waited three and a half years to marry you."

  He was pocketing his cufflinks. They were ones I’d given him, made from a dismantled F1 race car for our first anniversary.

  "I would have married you at the courthouse the day I purposed. I tried desperately to get you to the altar when we found out you were pregnant. I have tried numerous times since."

  He undid the buttons at his collar, making him even more sexy.

  If that's possible.

  "One might think you don't really want to walk down that aisle."

  "Nick." I rolled my eyes. "I told you that has nothing to do with it. First, I didn't and still don't want anyone, including you, thinking that I'm marrying you because of Wells. Second, I committed to forever the day I took this ring. My heart was yours long before that. I never felt the pressure to rush into it." I’d said all this before and I thought it’d sunk in, but here we were having the same conversation. Again.

  “Kate, you set a date. You set it. I waited as patiently as I possibly could for it to get here. And now it’s here and you seem to be dragging your feet even worse."

  At that I stood. I was over the conversation and having had it for what seemed like the fiftieth time, but I didn't want him to feel unimportant. He was, and always would be, my world. I shuffled between him and the windows and rested my hands on his chest.

  "I just wanted to get those finished, Nick. That's all. No big, weird, secret agenda or cold feet. I knew it meant we might sit in traffic and yes, I loathe traffic, but I just thought how nice it would be to go on vacation without work hanging over my head the whole damn time." I sighed heavily, hoping that would make my point.


  "You don't trust me to have everything in order?" His voice was still gravelly, his eyes still churning.

  "I trust you to leave projects that are mine to me. I trust you know I will put my departments in order, on my own, before a major departure like this."

  “Oh come on, Kate. Don’t twist my words like that." His eyes blazed as he looked down at me. "I should punish you for that." There was a flash of lust in his eyes. "And for making us late. You should be spanked." He arched an eyebrow and my breath caught.

  That was what he had wanted from the moment I challenged him. He'd been counting on my temper as a vehicle to get us there. My toes curled into my peep toe Manolo Blahniks.

  He studied me. I was doing my best to stare unwaveringly back into his excited eyes. When his hand slid in between my legs, I gasped but forced my gaze to stick to his. My skirt was loose enough for him to creep all the way up, stroking me once before his hand came to rest on my inner thigh. He dug his fingertips in and used the hold to turn my chair toward him.

  The heat from the June midday sun radiated through the windowpanes, but my skin goose bumped when he pulled me up and started sliding my zipper down. His hands skated up to my shoulders and pushed the fabric of my dress aside. He carefully handled it as it skated down to my ankles then helped me step out of it. Nick walked away and I watched him lay it nicely with his jacket and tie on the bookcase.

  His reflection paced in the window as I stood waiting. My breathing got heavier, and as I inched toward the glass to warm my skin; it fogged slightly beneath my lips. Nick returned just long enough to peel my lace briefs down and shove them in his pocket. My nipples hardened against the matching bra he'd left on.

  My thighs began their familiar rub together as I became more and more aroused; more and more uncomfortable. My ankles rolled in the Manolos Nick had left on and I pitched backward. He was there to catch me with a firm grip on my hip bones, and my hands shot back to him.

  He righted me easily and shifted to the side of my body. Even through his vest, I could feel his tight muscles press against me. I could feel a thick column of hard dick through silken fabric too. I tried to sag into his firm body but he righted me again, this time weaving his hands around mine and planting my palms on the glass.