Protecting Her: A Romance Bundle

by Mia Ford

  11

  Blaine

  I hadn’t been into the office in nearly a month, but today, I was motivated to get back in there and actually put some work in. Josie was so inspirational on so many levels, and after I had dropped her off the night before, I went home and really thought about our conversation over dinner. She was right. Everyone had things going on in their lives, things that could really mess them up on many levels, but that didn’t mean they should stop their lives and kill their dreams. I felt like it was harder for me to realize than others because I had the means to just give up, while other people fought for their dreams while supporting their lives and their families. So, at nine in the morning on Monday, I showed up at my firm’s office and completely shocked pretty much everyone inside. As soon as I walked through the door, jaws dropped, and I could see Anderson Brady, the managing partner, get up and walk over with a smile.

  “Blaine,” he said, shaking my hand and patting me on the back. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing well,” I said. “Everything looks great.”

  “Yeah, it’s going well,” he said, smiling. “What can we do for you today?”

  “I think it’s time I made some changes in my life,” I explained.

  “I like how that sounds,” he replied. “Come on, let’s go into my office.”

  I followed Anderson across the hall and into his office. Anderson had been a friend of mine since my father and him were in law school together. My father trusted him to carry on the legacy of the firm, just as he had trusted me. I didn’t quite hold up my end of things, but I was ready to get back in there.

  “So, tell me what’s going on,” he said, laughing and sitting down behind his desk.

  “I’m ready to jump back into things and put this degree to good use,” I said. “I want to bring in some clients that are maybe on a sliding scale. I don’t want to just deal with the richest of the rich anymore.”

  He smiled. “You sound like your dad. I think this is all fantastic. What made you change your mind? I knew that you were struggling after they died, and you really didn’t like the field we were in.”

  “A girl,” I said, laughing. “Not that she wants me to work, but she made me realize some things, some important things.”

  I knew it sounded stupid to say a girl changed my mind, but I would be lying to myself if I thought that I could have come to this conclusion on my own. Josie was a force to be reckoned with, but she was also extremely kind and very intelligent. She knew as much as I did that I needed to chase my dreams, and I had the perfect outlet to do that.

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” Anderson said. “Tell me about her.”

  “Well, she’s a school teacher in West Palm,” I explained. “She, uh, she’s not like any girl I’ve ever dated before. She doesn’t have a fairytale story about growing up. She definitely has had her fair share of things thrown at her, but she is light and lively and really knows how to cut right to the core of me.”

  “You haven’t known each other long?”

  “No,” I said, laughing. “She kind of came out of nowhere and really just stole my heart. She’s really something else. She had a rough childhood, and she was forced to make some hard choices at an age when she should have been hanging out with friends, not becoming the leader of a household. But it’s really turned her into a humble and empathetic person. She doesn’t see the dark side of things very often. She reminded me that a lot of people go through tough times, but our dreams for the future are what keep us going and give us hope. I realized I had completely given up on everything when Mom and Dad died, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to know Dad would have been proud of me.”

  “Well, she sounds like a smart woman,” he said, chuckling. “I’m really happy for you, Blaine. And we are all really happy to hear you are going to start working again.”

  “Thank you, Anderson,” I said, standing and shaking his hand.

  “I’ll send my secretary over to brief you on things and get you up to speed,” he said, reaching for the intercom. “Mary?”

  “Yes, Mr. Brady?” she asked through the speaker.

  “Can you get together all the files on clients and cases that we are currently considering, and then take them over to Blaine’s office and give him the rundown?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, hanging up the phone.

  “Thanks, Anderson,” I said, walking out of the office.

  I sat with Mary and listened as she listed the potential clients who needed help but didn’t have the financial ability to hire the firm full-time. I took the files and thanked her, making a stack on my desk to start looking through. I knew I would be on my own with these clients until I could prove it lucrative. Then, I could hire a team to help me with this aspect of the business. I sat there flipping through the files, reading their testimonies and figuring out who I needed to start with. Just talking about Josie in Anderson’s office got my brain hooked on her, and I had to put down the file because I couldn’t focus. I picked up my phone and sent her a text.

  Blaine: I can’t stop thinking about how sexy you are.

  I sat there for a minute, smiling to myself as I looked through the next file and waited for Josie to text back. When she replied, it was a blushing emoji face, and I laughed, shaking my head. I told her she was definitely not blushing last night. That sentence sent images of our hot and sultry bodies clashing against each other in ecstasy. The phone buzzed again, and I looked down at what she wrote.

  Josie: I forgot to turn the ringer off on my phone. When you texted, all my students burst into laughter.

  Blaine: Whoops!

  I laughed to myself, picturing her standing at the front of her class and having the students laugh as her phone rang. Then, she picked it up and saw what I sent her. I could already picture the blush moving over her face and the students giggling in the background. She was so damn sexy, even pictured as a school teacher. Of course, I might be picturing her a bit differently than she actually looked up there. I doubt she wore a skirt with a thigh-high slit and left her blouse unbuttoned several buttons so her bra would peek through. I mean, every guy in history has had the naughty school teacher dream at least once in their adolescence. Now, I had the real thing. I thought about her day and looked over at the clock, wondering what she was doing at ten in the morning. I wasn’t even sure what grade she taught, so it was hard for me to know what her schedule would be like.

  Blaine: You have plans for lunch?

  Josie: I do. I tutor kids on my lunch break every day.

  Blaine: You are perfect.

  Josie: Lol. Hardly. How’s the first day at the office going?

  Blaine: Good, I’m going through files.

  Josie: Sounds like fun. I am waiting for the students to finish their tests. It’s a quiet day.

  She was so adorable, and she’d just given me another reason to admire her. She taught school all day and then gave up her lunch break so she could tutor some more. I was curious as to what type of teacher she was. Was she the strict one, with lots of rules? Was she the cool one everyone liked? Or was she the sweet one that everyone wanted to hug? Something inside of me told me that she was most likely the sweet one that everyone wanted to hug. She was so caring and understanding that I could see her talking any kid down off a “sugar high, acting out as class clown” ledge. I bet the parents loved her, too, especially since she taught in a poorer area and paid a lot of attention to the students that were struggling. I couldn’t even start to imagine teaching a classroom full of snot-nosed little punks. On top of that, I knew just how difficult parents could be. I didn’t envy her at all. She was a stronger person than me.

  Blaine: So, can I see you tonight?

  Josie: Sure.

  Blaine: Awesome, I’ll pick you up at seven if that’s okay.

  Josie: Sounds perfect. Have a good day.

  Blaine: You too, sweetness.

  I smiled as I sent the message, feeling full of happiness but not wanting to
look like a complete nutcase. I tossed my phone to the side and started going through every one of the files, really delving into their cases. I called the clients with any questions I may have had. All of them seemed worthy of our expertise, but I was going to have to pick the ones that needed attention right away. There was no way that I was going to be able to handle all of those cases at one time. There were a couple of them, though, that could wait, and I called them to go over the sliding scale my father had worked up before he passed. I figured if they agreed, I could let them know that their case would be dealt with, but that it was not due for quite a bit of time, giving me the ability to work on other cases that had to be handled immediately.

  The day seemed to drag by, especially with me checking my phone every five seconds. But, despite my moments of regret where I wished I could take a nap, I put in a full day of work, not leaving the office until after five. I was proud of myself for weathering the storm and making my first day back really good. All but one of the files decided to go with the scale, and most of them expressed their excitement to have me as their attorney. I guessed the family name was useful for something more than just to impress other people in high society.

  At the end of the day, I updated Anderson before jetting out of the office, heading home to change my clothes. I wanted the night to be chill, and all I was worried about was having Josie in my arms. The rest was just details. After I changed, I sped over to her house, parking out front and walking up to the door to greet her. I missed her and had only been away from her for half a day. I was starting to turn into a complete puss, but I didn’t care. I was crazy about the girl. I just couldn’t believe how deep my feelings had gotten for Josie in the span of a week. She was on my mind constantly, and she had this way of making me smile, even when I was struggling to make it through a day. I had never experienced feelings like those before, no matter what girl I was seeing.

  The night before was absolutely amazing, and I loved every single second that I spent with Josie. As I reached the front door, I took a deep breath, really excited to see her. I could only pray that tonight turned out just as amazing, if not more than all the nights before that one. Things just kept getting better and better.

  12

  Josie

  I was extremely excited to see Blaine. I had been thinking about him all day. When he knocked on the door, I jumped up from the couch, ready to go. I opened the door and threw my arms around him, squeezing him tightly and feeling his arms around me. It had been a long day, and after I knew I was going to see him that night, I couldn’t help but watch the clock. It ticked by so slowly, and when the final bell rang for school, I was up and out of there. I was so proud of him for going back to the firm and chasing his dreams. It was exactly what I knew was inside of him all along.

  He walked me to the car, grasping my hand tightly and opening the door for me. I watched as he walked around to the driver’s side and jumped in. He buckled his seatbelt and put his hands on the steering wheel, looking over at me and smiling.

  “So, what exotic location do you want to explore tonight?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said, sighing. “I’m not really in the mood for any crazy adventures tonight. How about we go back to your place, and I’ll cook you a good, home-cooked meal?”

  “That sounds amazing to me,” he said, smiling. “I mean, I’m not one to turn down a hot meal. Netflix and chill seems good to me tonight.”

  “I like the Netflix,” I said, laughing. “But chilling wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for later.”

  He laughed as I winked at him and put the car in drive, pulling away from the curb and heading back toward his place. I was pretty excited to get to spend the evening at his house. I loved the fact that it was so beautiful and clean, and the ocean was literally his backyard. Even when you were inside, if you listened hard enough, you could hear the waves crashing on the shore. It was spellbinding, and I knew that as soon as I got there, I could relax and spend some stress-free time with this amazing man.

  As we drove, I tucked my phone in my purse, just in case my father happened to call. Blaine looked over and grabbed my hand, pulling it into his lap and smiling. I loved how he needed to always be touching me in some way. I really wanted to have a night where I just slept in his comfortable bed, wrapped in his strong arms, and feeling his chest heaving as he slept. It sounded silly, but I really felt that one of the most intimate things you could do with someone was sleep in their bed, cuddled in their arms. It was like the emotional side of intimacy, just being close to each other and being completely comfortable with it all.

  When we got to his house, I immediately made a bee-line for the kitchen, excited to finally get to cook something in a real kitchen, with new appliances. I really loved to cook, which was why most nights, I didn’t mind cooking my father food. The biggest thing I hated was the fact that we couldn’t afford really good ingredients like Blaine could. I did the best with what I had, and usually, I could at least make my father the kind of food that he liked. He was kind of picky, and I’d been forced to call my mom for recipes after she first left. Luckily, she didn’t take her recipe cards with her, so I’d been using them ever since then.

  I looked through the cabinets, amazed at how much food he had stocked up. He was insane with his house, and I was pretty sure, after getting to know him, it wasn’t likely that he used the food in the pantry very often. I pulled out all the ingredients to make some delicious fettucine alfredo and went to work, making the sauce from scratch and adding some steamed broccoli to the top. It was absolutely delicious when I tasted a bit off the spoon, and I was excited to have him try it. He came over and took out the plates and silverware to set the table, kissing me on the cheek as he walked by.

  When the table was fully set, I walked over, putting the noodles, sauce, and broccoli carefully on the plate. He pulled out a bottle of white wine and filled our glasses, making sure to not spill it. When we sat down, he tried his meal, and I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. He chewed carefully, looking for all the flavors that I had put into it.

  “Wow,” he said, wiping his mouth. “This is absolutely amazing.”

  “Thank you,” I said proudly. “It’s one of my favorite dishes.”

  “It’s been so long since I had a home-cooked meal,” he said. “My housekeeper keeps the shelves stocked with food, but I rarely eat anything. I am pretty sure she takes the stuff home that is about to expire so that food isn’t wasted. I almost don’t eat certain things so I can make sure she has a good bounty at the end of the month. I pay her through a service, but I am almost positive she only gets a fraction of what it costs me to have her there. She told me last year, she didn’t even get the entire bonus I gave them. After that, I decided that any bonuses would be paid by check directly to them, and not through the company. I would switch, but then I would lose her, and she keeps me together.”

  “That was the most spoiled thing you’ve said to me,” I said, laughing. “Your housekeeper keeps your life together.”

  “First world problems,” he joked.

  “You have a big heart,” I said, smiling. “Even if you try to hide it from everyone.”

  “Seriously, though,” he said, taking another bite. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

  I beamed, knowing that he really liked my cooking, something I was very confident in. I loved cooking for other people, and I always thought that if my teaching career ever imploded, I would open a restaurant and cook whatever I wanted. It would be good, home-cooked food from scratch. I had worked up a whole business idea in my head that incorporated the non-profit I wanted to start and other ways that I could help the community. It was definitely a pipe dream, but I enjoyed thinking about it, especially when things started to get rough at home. I guessed I was a dreamer, someone who hid behind a fantasy to escape the stress of their reality. I was realistic about it, and I didn’t always do it that way, but I definitely would retreat to those dreams whenever I wanted to get my m
ind off of things.

  We sat quietly and enjoyed our meal. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but instead, it was just two people enjoying each other’s company over a hot meal and some wine. I loved this part of the day, and I found that it was even better, sharing it with Blaine. We both finished our plates at the same time, leaning back and stretching with full bellies. He yawned and rubbed his stomach, looking up at me with a smile.

  “That was delicious,” he said. “So, what’s for dessert?”

  “Me,” I said, feeling extra feisty.

  We sat there for several moments, half-laughing and trying to figure out if we were serious. His eyes began to darken as I lifted my foot up, running it up his thigh and across his crotch, hidden from view by the table between us. I could feel his cock starting to grow as his pants tightened under my foot. I leaned in a bit further and pressed down, running my leg across his and pushing down on his dick. He groaned and took the napkin out of his lap, tossing it on the table and leaning back in his chair. For several moments, our comfortable silence turned into intense lustful silence, and I could feel my pussy begin to get wet. He was so sexy, sitting across the table in his polo and jeans, and instantly, I was turned on by the noises coming from his throat.

  He reached down into his lap and pushed down on my foot as it worked its way up his hard shaft. He got rock-solid fast, and I could only imagine how uncomfortable that was for him in those pants. I looked over at him and caught his deep, dark stare, wondering what was going through his mind. I had wanted him all day, and now that I had him in front of me, I was just waiting until we both buckled under the pressure. He took a deep breath and put my foot down, sliding his chair back and standing up. I watched as he walked around the table and grabbed me, pulling me to my feet. He put his hands on my waist and lifted me up in the air, turning and setting me down on the cold granite countertop behind us. I could feel the heat of passion in him as he ran his fingers down my chest and began to unbutton my top.