by Jessica Wood
“Yeah right,” I said back to the dead line. “Once a liar, always a liar.”
I stared at my phone, reeling in shock at how ruthless Katherine was. It was bad enough that she had cheated on me years ago with my close fraternity brother, but this was a new low. This was a new level of heartlessness that I didn’t think she had. Why had I loved someone like this? How was I so blind back then?
As I started my engine back up, I knew that I had to figure out a way to tell Blair the truth before Katherine ruined everything.
CHAPTER THREE
Blair
“Blair? You got a minute?”
I looked up from my computer to see Trent at the door of my office. “Yeah, I suppose so.” I flashed him a small smile.
Trent walked in and closed the door behind him before walking over to the empty chair facing my desk.
My body tensed as I was still unsure about his intentions and how much I could trust him. “What is it?”
He drew in a deep breath before meeting my gaze. I immediately saw the change in his face. Dark circles and bags surrounded his blood-shot eyes. He looked tired and aged, and my heart broke at the sight.
“What’s wrong, Trent?”
“Me,” he responded.
“What do you mean?” I immediately slipped into the concerned sister role.
“I’m sorry, Blair.” He voice cracked as he looked away so I couldn’t see the pain in his eyes. “I know that I’ve lost your trust. I know that I don’t deserve any sort of forgiveness from you. But I wanted to apologize for how I’ve treated you since my mom passed away—since I found out…the truth about myself. I think I held on to a lot of anger and resentment for the cards life had dealt me and had taken it out on you. I always knew deep down that you were innocent in all this. I knew deep down that you were probably the one person that would stick by me through all this…”
“So why didn’t you tell me?” I cut him off, “Why did you treat me the way you did? Do you really think I’d treat you differently just because you weren’t my biological brother?” My words spilled out quickly, and I knew these were questions that I’d desperately wanted answers to for the last year.
He bowed his head in shame. “I needed someone to blame,” he whispered. “I couldn’t let go of the anger…”
I studied the man sitting in the chair before me and wonder if the older, protective brother who had always loved and cared for me was there. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.” He looked eagerly up at me.
“Do you really hate me that much?”
Tears filled his eyes and he shook his head. “I never hated you. You’re one of the most important people in my life. But when my mom died, and when I found out I lost more than just her. When I found out that I’d lost myself and the life I’d worked so hard for, a part of me wanted to hate you. A part of me couldn’t accept the possibility that you’d become the future CEO of the company when I had sacrificed so much to prove myself to our father. But I never hated you…I hated only myself.”
He then pulled out a sealed envelope from inside the breast pocket of his suit and handed it to me.
“What is it?” I opened the envelope to reveal a letter.
Blair Parker
Acting Vice President
Parker, Inc.
857 Montgomery Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94133
May 10, 2014
Ms. Parker,
This letter is to inform you that I will be resigning from my current position as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Parker, Inc., effective immediately.
My time at Parker, Inc. has been an incredible learning experience, but I believe it is the best interest of the company that I step down at this time.
Best regards,
Trent Fox
“You’re the only person that has a right to be the CEO of Parker, Inc.,” he finally said as I stared at the letter in shock. “You’ve proved very early on that you’re more than capable of managing your father’s company.”
Surprised and touched by Trent’s words, I stared at the envelope in my hands. “Do you really want to leave Parker, Inc.?”
He didn’t respond.
“No.” Suddenly I ripped up the letter. “I can’t accept this.”
He stared at me with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”
I sighed. “Trent, I can’t let you do this. I’m not saying I’ve forgiven you for how you’ve treated me in the last year or two, but I know Parker, Inc. can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”
Our eyes met and at that moment I saw the face of the older brother who, up until recently, had always been there for me. I couldn’t imagine a life without him in it.
“But you found Katherine,” he began.
“That doesn’t mean you’re less of a brother to me, Trent.”
He looked up with pained eyes. “How can you still see me as a brother after all the shit I’ve put you through?”
I smiled. “Because I remember all the times you’ve been there for me as a brother, and I want to believe that he’s still in there somewhere.”
“I’m sorry for everything, Blair. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you’ll stay as Acting CEO. With dad still unable to move or speak properly, I need your help managing this place.”
He finally smiled and nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Blair. Not just for letting me stay at Parker, Inc., but for letting me stay in your life.” His voice cracked as he continued, “I know it will take time for you to trust me again, but I’m still the same brother that was always there to protect you.”
“I know. I believe you.” I wasn’t sure why, but I knew I could trust Trent. Some of the tension that’d taken hold of my body in the last few months disappeared.
“So,” he cleared his throat, “how is everything?”
I frowned as I was reminded of the other things that had been bothering me lately.
“I’m not sure,” I said honestly.
“What do you mean?” He looked at me in concern.
“I don’t know. I just get this feeling that something’s wrong with me and Dean.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. So I met Katherine for the first time a week ago,” I said cautiously as I watched Trent’s reaction.
“Right.” He tried to hide his discomfort on his face, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
“Well Dean and I were supposed to hang out later in the evening, and Katherine thought it’d be fun to surprise him, so I invited her over. Well Dean had this romantic night planned for us, and I think he wasn’t expecting me to bring a third wheel. I could tell there was some tension between the two of them, and neither of them seemed to really like the other. Anyway, things seemed to be a little off since then.”
“Hmm.” Trent frowned as he took in my story. “Have you talked to him about it?”
I shook my head. “Well I’m not sure if I’m just overreacting. I know I wanted their first meeting to be perfect, and it didn’t turn out that way. I think Dean was disappointed that his plans of a romantic night for just the two of us was ruined, and then he had to get back to the office for an urgent project.”
“Have the two of them hung out since then?”
“No.”
“Well, it might just have been an awkward first meeting. I know you, Blair. I know how you are when you want things to go perfectly. And I know they’re going to be two important people in your life and you want them to get along, so you’re putting a lot of pressure on it.”
I sighed. “You’re probably right.”
“Why don’t you plan another get together for them to meet. I’m sure things will go better if they know what to expect.”
I beamed at Trent. “Thanks for wise advice, big brother. You always know what to say to make me feel better.”
He smiled back. “Thank you for giving me a second chance at being a big brother to you.
***
; I woke up just a little past dawn. My lips spread into a smile as I registered Dean’s warm, protective arm curled around my body. I’d never met a man who made me feel as safe and wanted as he had. I slowly pried Dean’s hand off my waist and quietly slipped out of the bed.
Dean was usually the one to make us breakfast, but today I wanted to surprise him with breakfast. I walked to his kitchen and started making his favorite breakfast: French toast with a side of bacon.
Twenty minutes later, my phone vibrated against the kitchen counter.
“I’m already here,” his deep, raspy voice came from behind me. His lips moved gently down the side of my neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Dean, you startled me,” I cried out between giggles.
“Damn, my baby made my favorite breakfast.”
“See, isn’t this better than just coffee?” I grabbed a piece of bacon and fed it to him.
“Depends on what coffee we’re talking about.” He winked at me. Then a devious smile curled his lips. “You know what’d taste even better than this piece of bacon?”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Well there’s a certain sweet honey that I just can’t get enough of.” He cocked his head and eyed me.
I drew in a sharp inhale as his hand brushed the spaghetti straps of my camisole off my shoulders, causing the silk fabric to fall to the ground, exposing my naked breasts.
“Well good morning to you too,” he chuckled as he lowered his mouth onto one of my breasts and began to suck on it. Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and pushed me on top of the kitchen counter.
Through my cries of pleasure, I managed to push some of the plates to the side to make room for my naked body as his teeth and tongue bite and soothed my nipple in alternating intervals, sending jolts of electricity down below where a pool of wetness was developing in anticipation.
“Dean, what about breakfast?” I managed to ask between my pants and cries as my hands ran through his hair in frenzy.
He paused and looked up at me swollen breasts with a wide, sinful smile across his lips. “Baby, I’m having my breakfast right now.” I saw the raw hunger in his eyes and the wetness inside me began to drip down my thighs in anticipation.
As if he had a sixth sense of how turned on I was, he went down on his knees and disappeared between my legs.
I gasped as I felt his hot tongue lick up my wetness along my inner thigh. “Can’t let this sweetness go to waste,” he groaned as his mouth slowly moved toward my epicenter of my pleasure. “And jackpot. Breakfast of champions.” His voice was ragged and wild as I felt his mouth linger at the entrance.
“Oh God, please, Dean!” I begged as I arched my hips toward his mouth.
“Baby, I aim to please, and I’m ravenous,” he growled in response.
Suddenly he grabbed my hips with both hands as his mouth engulfed me. I let out a scream and threw my head back as an onslaught of pleasure crashed through me. As his hands tightened its grip against my flesh as he pulled me against his mouth, his tongue moved deeper and deeper inside me. Within seconds, I reached my breaking point and my entire body began to quiver around his mouth.
“Come for me, baby. Come all over my mouth.”
I cried and gasped uncontrollably as his tongue pushed me over the brink of sanity, where several long seconds of earth-shattering pleasure thundered down my body.
“Oh my God, that was incredible,” I panted.
“And delicious to the last drop.” He appeared between my legs and flashed me a wide grin, his face covered with my wetness.
“Well that was certainly a pleasant surprise.” I beamed at him.
Suddenly he picked me up and threw me over his naked, broad shoulders.
“Where are you taking me?” I squealed as I half-struggled to get off of him.
“You didn’t think I was done with you yet, did you?”
“What?” I pretended to protest.
“Baby, we just had some strong coffee, courtesy of yours truly. But now it’s time for the main course, and as you can feel,” he grab one of my hands and moved it under his boxers and on top his rock-hard erection, “I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”
I could picture the sexy smirk on his determined face as he carried me into the bedroom. As much as I wanted to resist him, I knew I couldn’t. He was the first man that’d made me feel this sexy, free, and safe, and the more time we spent together, the more confident I was about the fact that nothing would change the way I felt about him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Dean
The pure euphoria that swallowed me when I came inside Blair was all that seemed to push the problem of Katherine from my mind lately. If I had the power, I’d whisk Blair away to a secluded island and make love to her for the rest of my life. The idea of how incredible that would be floated around in my mind as I came down from my last release.
“You know, Mr. Chase.” Blair’s dreamy, soft voice broke though my thoughts. Her fingers laced and intertwined with mine as they methodically moved up and down the length of my fingers, sending tingles of pleasure down my chest and toward my tired, but excited cock that was quickly responding beneath the sheets.
“What’s that, Ms. Parker?” My voice came out in a deep, hoarse voice. I met her gaze and couldn’t help but to smile.
“I didn’t think it was possible to orgasm three times in an hour’s time, but you sure proved me wrong.”
She was lying next to me in the bed and I turned to face her and gazed into her warm emerald eyes. My hand slowly trailed up and down the outline of her arm. “There’s a lot of things I intend to prove you wrong, Ms. Parker.”
She raised an eyebrow and shot me a look. “I’m not often wrong, dear sir,” she challenged. “I still remember the very first time we met at that grocery store—”
“By the fruit stands,” I finished.
“Yup. If I recall correctly, I said to your face that you were one cocky guy.”
“And I said that I had a lot to be cocky about.” I winked at her.
She giggled. “Well you weren’t wrong there.” Her eyes glanced down at my cock, which twitched the second it was mentioned. “But my point was I’m rarely wrong. We weren’t even talking about whether or not you were.” She laughed. “And the fact that you turned the conversation back to you proves my point: you’re one cocky guy.”
I threw my head back in laughter. “I sure am.” Then I grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her to me. Our lips met in a slow, lingering kiss, our tongues darted in and out of each other’s mouths, and our lips playfully nipped and kissed.
As we finally pulled away, my lips curled into a wide grin.
She cocked her head and eyed me suspiciously, “What are you smiling about?”
I feigned an innocent look. “What? Can’t a guy smile at his girlfriend adoringly?”
She punched me lightly in the arm. “Spill it.”
I laughed at how well she could read me. “Well I was just laughing at the fact when you were saying you’re rarely wrong about things, you actually said something that was in fact wrong.”
She glared at me and pouted. “And what exactly did I get wrong?”
I flashed her a smug smile. “Well you said that the very first time we met was at the grocery store.”
“And how is that wrong?” she challenged.
“It’s wrong because the first time we met was at that speakeasy bar in the Financial District.”
She frowned. “I never met you there.”
I chuckled. “You did.”
“Well you must not have been that memorable then if I can’t remember,” she challenged with a smile.
“Oh, I’ll show you how memorable I am,” I shot back as I reach over to tickle her.
She squealed as she tried to squirm away from my threatening fingers. “Okay,” she managed to get out between her uncontrollable giggles, “Tell me what happened.”
I finally stopped, feeling c
hildishly triumphant like I had just won something. “Well that was actually the very first time we met. You were walking through the front door while I was walking out. I didn’t see your face, but I had smelled that perfume of yours that seem to drive me crazy.”
She shot me a doubtful look. “I’m not the only person that wears Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey perfume. How could you be sure if it was me if you didn’t see my face?”
I reached for her wrist and turned her palm up to face us. “I also saw your long, beautiful hair and this infinity sign tattoo.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “I can’t believe you still remember these details. So on top of being cocky, you’re also a stalker.”
“Ha ha. Joke all you want, but let’s not be derailed from the point of this story—you are wrong.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so smug. For a lawyer, you know it’s all in the semantics. I said the very first time we ‘met’ was at the grocery store. We didn’t ‘meet’ each other at the bar when I didn’t even know you existed and you didn’t even see my face. Your argument is weak and doesn’t hold water.”
I laughed at how much of a smart-ass she was and how much I loved that about her. “You’ll never just let me have the last word, will you?”
She beamed at me. “Nope,” she said, causing her lips to make a smacking sound.
I turned my attention back to the infinity tattoo on her wrist. It was a infinity sign with four small birds flying in a line around a portion of the infinity sign. On another portion of the infinity sign was the word “Always.” My thumb traced the lines of the infinity sign. “So when are you going to tell me what this means?” I teased.
She smiled. “Are we telling each other our deepest secrets now?” she teased.
Her question was like a punch to the gut and I felt the guilt that’d been following me around during this past week suffocating my airways as she looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes, drawing me into her world. I wanted to tell her then about my history with Katherine, but as her naked body gently brushed against mine, I couldn’t seem to get myself to confess what’d been weighing on my mind since I saw Katherine and found out who she was.