by Celia Aaron
“I was sorry to hear about your bad news.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
He hit the ignition, the now familiar roar of the engine greeting my ears. I was eager to return to the project and more so, to Eden. We had spoken each night I was away. She gave me details of the rapid progress at Belle Mar—the structure and the finishes coming together right before her eyes. I knew she was trying to distract me, afraid I was in the throes of grief despite my assurances that wasn’t the case.
The flight was uneventful, save for Tom’s retelling of certain carnal events that had occurred over the few nights we were back in Birmingham. He had me laughing so hard I swore the little plane shook. Viagra was a hell of a drug.
We touched down as the sun was high overhead. Stepping out into the warm air of the Gulf Coast raised my spirits even higher than Tom’s tall tales did. I was already overheated in my long-sleeved button-up and khakis, but I didn’t mind. I was glad to be back to what I felt was my “real” life. The one that had a definite future. I adjusted my sunglasses and slung my bag over my shoulder.
My breath caught when I saw Eden leaning against the car, waiting for me. She wore a pink tank top and a blue jean miniskirt. Her shoes had some sort of chunky heels that appeared as if they were made of rope, and the straps from them snaked up her lower calves. Her legs somehow looked even better than the last time I’d seen her, which seemed impossible. Long and lickable. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but her smile shone open and bright. I felt a tug in my heart, as if a string was inextricably knotted there that reached all the way to her.
“You’re back.” She flung her arms around my neck and pulled me down into a fervent kiss, messy and wet. I was stunned for a moment before answering her demanding tongue with my own.
When she finally let me up for air, I put a hand to my chest. “Happy to see me?”
She smiled, her plump lips smoothing out into delicious curves. “Maybe a little.”
Tom wolf whistled behind us. Eden flipped him off. She was in high spirits, the highest I’d ever seen.
“Come on.” She dropped into the backseat and, after stuffing my bag into the trunk, I slid in next to her.
She draped her knee over mine, and I couldn’t help but rest my palm along her smooth, warm skin. I wanted more from her. I wished she didn’t have a driver so I could pull over and give her body the attention it was begging for.
She’d only ever shown me glimpses of this side of her. She was so bubbly—girlish almost. Excitement and happiness balled into one.
“Bess wouldn’t let me look at the lobby or the pool today. I’m dying to see her progress, and I can’t wait for you to see it all. The pool? Oh my God. They tiled it two days ago. It’s amazing. The bar has the most perfect setup I’ve ever seen. Beautiful and posh.” Her giddy voice slowed until she frowned. “And I’m being a total asshole gushing about the project when you’ve just had to go to a funeral.”
She clasped my hand in hers. I gave it a squeeze. “No, please continue gushing. I have nothing to share other than what you already know. It’s behind me now. All of it. I’d rather hear about Belle Mar.”
She threaded her fingers through mine. “I’m glad.”
She continued her descriptions and gave me a tally of the newly-signed contracts. We were over sixty percent sold.
“You are going to get this done tomorrow night.”
Her giddy demeanor faltered for a second. “I sure hope so.”
We pulled up on the freshly-paved blacktop in front of Belle Mar, the sun catching along the chrome supports and wide windows. The landscapers had done their work; palm trees, bougainvillea, and a host of other tropical flora overflowed the planters along the entryway and next to the gleaming front doors.
Eden led me through the entryway, her steps light and quick.
I slid my sunglasses to the top of my head and let my eyes adjust to the slightly dimmer light. Workers flitted about here and there, as if finally put into motion by the barbed tips of Eden’s and Bess’ whips. I was amazed at the progress. Eden’s description didn’t do the place justice. It looked like a scene out of The Great Gatsby, all glitz and opulence.
Bess Xiao was high above, perched on a ladder like a gorgeous butterfly, as she twisted silver lights through a vibrant green topiary ball. Leafy pendants filled the lobby, and silver lights shined through them, giving the ceiling a look of half rainforest, half starry night. Woven between the orbs of greenery and light were swaths of silver tulle. The fabric seemed to emanate from the center of the high ceiling and descended through the rest of the décor in a perfect pattern.
“You should see it when it gets dark. I promise it’s perfect.” Bess’ voice floated down from her height.
I was almost more impressed that she climbed the ladder in her skirt and heels than the glamor of her décor.
Eden clapped her hands. “This is just what I envisioned. I can’t wait to see what you did with the pool!”
She rushed through the rest of the lobby, past the bar, past the catering staff setting up the tables, past the model and the sales table. I followed her. The last rays of the sun were glinting off the ocean as we took in the scene.
The pool was large, shaped in a fleur de lis, and beautifully tiled in purple and cerulean. The water flowed to the horizon and disappeared over the edge. Beyond, the sea lazily washed up on the shore. Topiaries were set along the perimeter and around the pool. These were in planters and had tall, thin trunks and large green poofs at the top. Crystals hung from the bottom branches, refracting light at all angles. The same lights were woven inside the leaves, and the bases were swathed in silvery, glittering fabric.
Above, Bess had somehow strung a huge three-dimensional multi-pointed star over the pool and multiple smaller stars along nearly invisible wires leading from the center outward. Detail was in everything, right down to the choice of chairs and towels that looked casually arranged, but were no doubt placed precisely by Bess.
The light sea breeze played through the pool area, sending Eden’s hair into the air around her. Pleasant smells of surf, sand, and the lingering hint of fresh wood and fresh paint made the area seem somehow richer.
Eden’s hand went to her mouth.
“You okay?”
“No. I mean, yes. Bess really pulled it off.”
I took a few more steps and put my hands on her hips. She leaned back into me.
“Bess has done her part, now I just have to do mine.” Her voice shook ever so slightly.
I dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. “No pressure or anything.”
She snorted a small laugh. “Right. None.”
I heard the click-clack of heels growing louder, so I stepped away from Eden. She may not care if Tom knew about us, but I didn’t know how far she wanted the news to travel. We stood side by side and watched the deep blue of the ocean douse the great torch along the horizon.
“It’s not finished yet, but we’re getting close.” Bess was harried. “The fresh flowers arrive in the morning. They’ll be threaded into the topiaries and draped along the staircase that leads to the mezzanine and also on—” She seemed to have to force herself to stop speaking. She took a breath and held it. “Well, it isn’t important right now. I just want to know, is it…is it what you wanted?” The note of worry in Bess’ voice was new to me.
Eden turned and surveyed Bess up and down. The designer appeared a bit frazzled, her silky hair tied up in a messy bun and glasses covering her dark eyes. She could use a good night’s sleep.
Eden looked up at the starry lights. “I honestly couldn’t have done it better myself.”
Bess sagged with relief. “Thank God. But there’s more, a lot more. My people will be finishing up overnight and tomorrow. It will all be absolutely perfect. I promise.”
“I have all the faith in the world.”
“Thank you, Ms. Rochester.” Bess gave a nod before returning to the lobby and barking out orders for her assistant. She seemed to have gotte
n her second wind from Eden’s high praise.
Eden took my hand and pressed it hard.
“Sellout. Tomorrow night. It’s as good as in the books,” I said.
She glanced up at me, a troubled frown on her face. “God, I hope so. All this work can’t be in vain.”
Even if she didn’t get it sold according to Mr. Poole’s wishes, she’d still be making bank on the half commissions. It seemed like a win-win proposition on that score.
Before I could question her any further, she looked at me through her lashes and whispered, “Let’s go up to our room.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. Ever since her kiss at the airfield, I was on fire to touch her, taste her. I cursed whoever designed the glass elevator. I waited patiently until we were inside the apartment before pushing her up against the wall and giving her a taste of her own medicine. A rough kiss, the one I’d wanted to give her since the first moment I saw her.
She moaned as I palmed her ass and lifted her, forcing her legs around me as I pressed my body into hers, pinning her to the wall. I yanked the hem of her shirt over her head and feasted on her breasts. Her hard nipples skipped across my tongue as I sucked one and then the next. I pushed against her, my cock straining toward her through the layers of clothing as her fingers worked against my shirt buttons. She was already hot between her legs. Imagining her wet made me grind against her before lifting her and carrying her to the bed.
She fisted my shirt and pulled me down on top of her. I knew it must have crushed the air from her, her small frame fully beneath my much larger one. She wrapped her legs around me when I tried to back away.
“No. I want to feel you. All of you.”
Her words were an aphrodisiac of their own, making my body respond. I hated every stitch of fabric between us. I stood and stripped. She hitched in a breath and let her gaze rove over me, her hazel eyes sparkling in the glancing rays of the low moon.
I crawled back on top of her and lifted her tank top, kissing her stomach as I went. Inch by inch, I kissed until she was writhing beneath me and begging me to suck her, fuck her, do anything other than torture her with my light kisses. I stripped her shirt completely off, then pulled her skirt and panties down to her knees and stopped there.
Holy fucking shit. Her pussy was totally bare. I ground my shaft into the mattress at the glorious sight.
“What happened to my red curls?” I hovered over her bare cleft, letting my breath tease her skin.
She tried to shimmy out of her skirt and panties, but I didn’t let her. Instead, with her thighs pressed together, I slipped my tongue into her tight lips, teasing the tip of her clit.
“I asked what happened,” I said and delved my tongue in further, caressing the nub as her hips bucked beneath me.
“I-I, um, oh, it’s a pool party event. I’ll be wearing a bathing suit ensemble thing, so I needed—oh, Jack! I needed a smooth wax.”
She tried to open her legs for me.
“In a minute, you’re going to be wide open with my cock inside you, balls deep. For now,” I reached both hands up and squeezed her hard nipples, “we’re going to do this my way.”
I let my tongue snake its way back to her sweet spot, licking her wetness while I kneaded her breasts. She fisted the sheets next to her and trembled beneath me, her moans becoming louder the harder I pressed my tongue against her swollen nub.
My cock was already painfully hard, desperate to make good on my words.
“Please, Jack.”
I leaned away and shucked her panties and skirt the rest of the way off. I spread her wide and feasted on her pink skin. She jumped beneath me, her hips rising to meet the strokes of my tongue. I slipped one finger inside her and groaned from the feel of it, from knowing what it would feel like clamped down on my cock like a velvety vise.
I sped my flicking and sucking before slipping in another finger. Her hands fumbled in my hair as her hips rocked in rhythm. I felt her muscles tighten; she was almost at the edge. I sucked her clit and she dug her fingers into my scalp. Then I stopped.
She cried out, a high-pitched, desperate sound that I intended to put on repeat in my mind. I stalked up her gorgeous body, now luminous in the moonlight, before plunging inside her. I yelled at the sensation of her heat. She sank her nails into my back as I started a punishing rhythm. I wanted to fuck her so hard she didn’t worry about anything except how to walk straight the next day.
I fisted her hair and yanked, enjoying her slight yelp at the pain before I licked and sucked at her neck, all the while sliding in and out of her tight, wet pussy. I rose up on my elbows and watched her perfect tits bounce with each impact, their rosy tips desperate for my mouth. Her face was a mask of bliss, her eyelids at half-mast, though she watched me, watched my body work her.
I rolled over so she was on top, my cock still embedded deeply inside. She settled down hard on my shaft and began rocking, rubbing her clit against me in small movements. I leaned up and captured one of her nipples between my teeth, giving it a light nip before swirling my tongue around and drawing it deep.
She threw her head back and put her hands in her hair. As I sucked the hard tip, she increased her speed, grinding against me, squeezing me harder as she went. I wouldn’t last long with this temptress on top of me. God, her sounds, the sweet exertions she gave breath to, were sexier than anything I’d ever heard.
My cock throbbed inside her, though it barely had room. I lay back, wanting to see all of her. She was a fucking goddess, auburn hair and alabaster skin. Breasts the perfect teardrops with plump nipples.
I gripped her hips, digging my fingers in as she rode me. I rocked up to her, giving her clit more friction. She moaned and dropped her hands to my abs where she steadied herself as she rose and fell against me. Her eyes glazed with lust as her movements became wilder. She was going to come.
Her cry echoed around the apartment as her walls began to clench me even tighter. I tried to hold back, to make it last longer. She made it impossible. With one final plunge upward into her, I rammed her hips down onto me as she squirmed with her own orgasm. I shot into her, pulsing blasts as her constricting pussy wrung every last drop from me.
As soon as the haze passed, I eased up on her hips. I feared she might have fingertip bruises the next day. She collapsed onto my chest, her ear right above the thumping chambers of my heart. I wrapped my arms around her, pressing her to me even more, branding her onto my skin.
At that moment, she was everything.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EDEN
I RUSHED AROUND THE lobby like a madwoman, making sure everything was perfect. Bess followed in my wake, reminding me that she had already done everything, checked everything, triple-checked everything, and that I needed to settle down.
The sun was falling over the water, and the party was set to start in half an hour. A local band tuned up in the corner, ready to play a menu of new, upbeat songs to get buyers happy and in the mood to spend. The sales table was perfect. A six-foot-tall ice sculpture of the building sat in the center for some extra wow factor.
Delicious smells, courtesy of the caterer, wafted through the air as workers created an overladen buffet of delights piled high with Gulf shrimp, fresh sushi, and a myriad of other treats to please any guest’s tastes.
Bess, true to her word, had woven orange and white roses into the hanging topiaries, giving an extra pop of tropical color to the already astounding design display. Jack was out by the pool, helping Bess’ assistant place the last few bunches of flowers into the topiaries and sprinkle petals around the pool. He was congenial but focused, ready to go to work. He wore a pair of black pants and a light blue button-up. I’d neatly rolled up his sleeves to give him a more casual air.
“Put the guests at ease,” I’d said before showing him my outfit.
I’d barely escaped the room unscathed and had to redo my lipstick after he’d seen me. I intended to play the “life of the party” role to get every last unit sold, inc
luding the penthouse. I wore a red bathing suit. It was one piece, but the front plunged down to my stomach, giving ample views of my cleavage. The back was equally revealing, and the bottom cut high across my hips. I threw a white cover-up on top of it, gossamer and transparent, and strapped on some top-shelf hooker heels. I’d done my hair in loose, beachy waves and overdone my makeup to vamp levels. Salesmanship was showmanship.
“I can’t let you go out looking like this. This should be just for me.” His voice at my ear, low and silky, had thrilled me. The memory of it still did, and goosebumps broke out along my thighs despite the warm sea air.
The pool was an oasis, with Bess’ stars shining brightly overhead. Jack placed the last of the flowers and sent the assistant hurrying away to hide the wrappers and trimmed bits of greenery.
I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. It was game time. And I needed to be at the top of my game if I was going to pull this off.
I felt the light touch of a hand on my backside and turned to find Gray admiring my outfit.
“You’ve never looked better.” He was wolfish and already smelled of alcohol.
“Thanks, Gray. Now shoo. I’d hate for you to be watching over my shoulder. Makes me nervous.” I gave him my best coquettish smile, though I would have preferred to slap the lecherous grin off his face.
‘Fine, fine. I just wanted to stop by and see what the hens had gotten up to. I’ll catch you after the party.” He squeezed my ass before leaving. He didn’t wish me luck.
Jack came over, tension in his walk. “Did he touch you?”
“No. Just a pep talk.” The high from earlier was gone. The pit had opened beneath me as I remembered the things I’d let Gray do to me just so I could get this far. Shame burned in my cheeks.
Jack didn’t seem to notice; he relaxed a bit and brushed a stray hair from my face. “Good. If he ever gives you any trouble, just tell me. I can take care of him.”
I couldn’t respond. My secret silenced me, rooted me to the spot. He seemed to notice my chill. His blue eyes searched mine, looking for a reason that I could never give him. Of all the things I was ashamed of, nothing was worse than what I’d done to make vice president at Thornfield, and what I’d done to stay there.