by K. J. Lewis
“I love you.” I kiss his nose and finish my lunch.
It doesn’t take long to clean up and only a couple of hours to make sure we have all the accounts covered and know what direction we want them to go in.
Reid has taken over three other companies that are keeping Ryan and Fran busy with the Chicago team. Gabby is hiring and building the New York office and Blake is working mostly for me and some for Reid. As usual, what I have him doing is to stay under the radar. Just by the nature of today’s environment we’ve been using Gabby’s hacking skills more and more. We are also considering hiring one of the world’s most feared hackers, known to everyone simply as Mask. Blake and I know her by her given name, Charlotte.
“Done?” Fran asks recording the last of the notes on her laptop.
“We’re done.” Ryan says, slapping a deck of cards on the table.
“I’ll get the snacks.” Gabby says headed to the kitchen.
“I’ll grab the beers.” Ryan follows her as the rest of us clear our spaces. Reid continues to work on his laptop. Theo and Ross have moved to laying on the couch and watching the game while they rest.
“What’s the score?” I ask.
“We’re still ahead by like 1200.” Blake says shuffling and dealing out hands as everyone takes their seats.
“So. You and Dean?” Ryan asks Gabby looking at Fran’s hand.
“For now.” Gabby answers non-committedly.
“That sounds promising?” Ryan questions.
“We’re just enjoying each other right now. No stress.”
“You guys enjoyed the hell out of something last week. That headboard was beating my wall harder than a choir boy in a porn shop.”
We all turn to Fran and she shrugs her shoulders, “It’s an expression. Either way,” she continues, “there’s a difference. You were just enjoying that John guy last summer. This is different.”
“Of course, this is different. John was Rumpleforeskin. It’s just not my thing.” Gabby says.
“Cut or uncut. It’s never been a deal breaker for me.” I put in my two cents.
“I just can’t. My grandad used to play with this gel filled tube thing. Said it was a stress reliever. When I slept with that guy in college that was uncut all I could see was that toy.” She shivers. “It freaked me out. The eye goes in, the eye pokes out.”
“What the hell are you even talking about?” Ross asks and Theo tries to persuade him to stay out of the conversation and not give Gabby any reason to expand.
“Now Dean. His is cut…”
“Finish that sentence and become unemployed.” Reid threatens. “I do not want to talk about my brother. Actually I’m not comfortable with this conversation at all.”
“Of course you aren’t honey.” I kiss his shoulder.
“But you understand what I’m saying right Elise?” Gabby winks at me.
“Hella smooth Gabs.” Blake shakes his head.
“Gabrielle Jane.” Reid gives her a chastising look and I know he acts mad but he can’t resist Gabby. I think ever since he pulled wood out of her ass, he’s had a soft spot for her.
“So Blake. How’s it going with you?” Gabby asks and I give her a death stare to be quiet.
“Good. I just wish we could get somewhere with the community center.”
“How’s West?”
“Gabby.” I warn and she shrugs.
“I’m just saying. We still aren’t talking about it?”
“No. We aren’t.” Blake shoots an eye at her.
“Whatever tickles your pickle.” She winks then adds softly. “When you’re ready.” And Blake acknowledges her with a nod.
A week later
“Gentlemen.” I say my goodbyes.
I was hesitant to be a part of this summit. There were no women in this group. I wasn’t sure how a group of men can tell rape victims how to feel. I quickly realized that to call out rape in the country, it is going to take a group of men to stand up and say— This is wrong and we won’t tolerate it. Just like women needed men to help them get the vote and will continue to need men to help in reaching equality in pay. Is it right? No. Is it true? I think so.
“Walk you out?” Pierce asks me closing his briefcase. We’ve been working together since I started consulting. Emme’s offer was hard to refuse, but I felt like there were too many things I wanted to be a part of to be tied down to a singular focus. Emme agreed and I started my own consulting firm. Of one. Just me. I will still be the lead in the Addison Movement that Emme founded. So far business has been non-stop and I’m well on my way to adding another person. I’m not sure yet if it will be someone from my team or if I will bring in new blood. Reid and I are still discussing it.
We agreed, well I felt strongly, and Reid finally gave in, that we shouldn’t work together. It was too hard for him to separate Elise the fixer from Elise his soon-to-be-wife. It took a while for me to decide. A part of me loves that he wants to look after me, make sure that I’m always safe. Loves that I am his priority. The business woman in me wanted the freedom to do as I wanted and to choose the clients I wanted. So, we compromised. Something he isn’t used to doing.
“You heading back to the city today?” Pierce asks, escorting me off the elevator.
“I am. I have a friend coming home tomorrow and I want to be there when he arrives.”
Ryan is back.
“I won’t keep you long.” He helps me into my coat when we stop in the lobby. It’s the beginning of the year and it’s freezing in D.C. Snow and ice are expected later today. I’m really hoping my flight isn’t cancelled this afternoon. It’s the earliest they have.
“I’d like to solicit your services.” Something in his voice and his expression seem distant. Almost hollow. He runs a fierce law-firm in the city and has been serving as our legal counsel in writing the laws we are hoping to push through congress.
“What’s up?” I study him and for a man as powerful as he is, he has trouble meeting my eyes.
“I need help finding someone. She’s been eluding the people I’ve had searching for her. I’m wondering if you might have better fortune than they are.”
“Who is she?”
His jaw ticks. “A friend.”
“Pierce. You know once I start poking around, I will find out everything anyways. You might as well tell me.”
“She’s my sister. She got mixed up into some things and ran away.”
“Is she a minor?’
“No. She’s 22.”
“Okay. Send me what you have so far. I’ll get started on it. I assume there’s no limit?” Financially Pierce is set. He’s heir to a large fortune and is one of the contributors to The Foundation that Graham and Emme are part of with 9 other billionaires.
“Yes. I don’t care what it costs. If I have to utilize my other assets, I will.”
“Other assets?”
“I choose to live off what I earn with my firm. It’s more than enough for several families to be comfortable. The money I inherited I access only for the Foundation.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“I know it goes without saying, but I’d like this to remain between us.”
“Of course.”
“Would you like a lift to the city?” He asks escorting me from the building into the freezing air. “I’m flying back today.”
“That would be…”
“She has a ride.” A sultry voice that is directly connected to all the delicious feelings I have, sends me into overdrive.
“Reid? What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you. I didn’t want you getting snowed in. Thought we could leave before the storm hits.” His eyes fall to where Pierce’s hand is resting on my lower back. He placed it there when guiding me through the door before him.
“Pierce.” Reid greets him coolly and he laughs, removing his hand to shake Reid’s.
“Hey man. I was just offering Elise a ride.”
“Like I’d let her ride with you
. You’re a handsy mother-fucker.”
“Ignore him.”
“Trust me.” Pierce says. “I learned a long time ago how to tune him out.”
“You’re welcome to ride back with us.” Reid offers.
“Nah. The plane has to be back for a company flight tomorrow anyways. I’ll go back with it.”
They shake and I offer a hug to Pierce before he leaves.
Reid shows me back into the building and we take the elevator to the roof. There’s a helicopter waiting for us.
“When did you get a helicopter?”
“I didn’t. Graham let me use his. I didn’t want us to get delayed. Already there’s a back log of flights. Pierce should have ridden with us. I’m not sure he’ll get out of here. Even with his private flight.
My arm shoots out to brace myself against Reid. I don’t like being this high up, not to mention it is freezing up here.
We are secured into the back of the copter. I’ve ridden in it once with Emme. There’s reclining seats and a large in-wall television as the main seating. There’s a bench along the back of the wall where the bar is housed.
“How long is this flight?”
“Ninety minutes.” We sit in two of the reclining chairs.
“What did Pierce want?”
“He needs me to work on a case.”
“Anything you can discuss?”
“I honestly won’t know until I get the file, but it doesn’t look like a case that we will be able to discuss.”
“Just so long as you remember our agreement.” He gives me a pointed stare as our flight home begins.
“I remember Reid.”
As part of our agreement when we got engaged, any case I sign on to that requires me to have security or to be armed, then Reid and I discuss it before I give final sign-off. Not the specifics if it’s sensitive information, but at least the parameters. As my soon to be husband, I understand and respect of his need to make sure I am safe. And as his soon to be wife, he respects that I make educated decisions about what I should and should not be involved in.
“I hope Ryan and Fran make it in.”
“They’re here already.”
“They are?” I can’t keep the excitement out of my voice.
“He and Fran came in early to get ahead of the storm.”
“They seemed excited to be staying at the house with us.”
“Elise?”
“Yes?” I look up from my magazine when he doesn’t answer right away. When my eyes meet his, there’s a heat in them I’ve never seen from anyone before.
“Strip.”
“Reid. I don’t think this is the…”
“I said strip. Now.” He adds after I hesitate.
Slowly, I peel myself out of my clothes while my fiancé’s eyes feast over me. When I don’t receive the next directive, I take matters into my own hands and straddle my knees on each side of his hips, massaging my clit as he runs his hands up and down my thighs, his aroused gaze directly on my face. As I continue to take my own pleasure, Reid undoes his buckle and lowers his waistband. His hands find my hips as he guides me down his rigid cock. He runs his tongue up my sternum and across my throat. When he clears the underside of my chin his eyes pierce mine and he issues his command.
“Go.”
I cannot believe I am three books into this crazy ride. Who would think people would want to read what I write? Crazy. CRAZY!
I was taking my niece somewhere the other day. She was in the backseat with her friends and they were singing to songs on the radio while talking about this cute guy at the basketball game we just left. It got me thinking about time and how quickly it moves. (Sentimental I know. Not my usual forte.) It was two years ago I wrote Taylor Made and less than a year ago since I published it. It seems like yesterday.
There are so many people who made a book happen. Who made this book happen. From the ones who work on the book to the reader who encourages an author with a simple message or share of a post. Each one giving up a portion of one of our most precious commodities. Time.
Everything we do is based around time. What time do the kids need to be there? What time does my next meeting start? What time are mom and dad getting here? What time does our flight leave? What time does the wedding start? What time is the funeral?
One commonality that we all share, no matter race, sex, creed, nationality or who you love— is time.
Every day I interact with readers and bloggers I am reminded what an honor it is to be given your time. What a gift that is to me. I never want to take for granted the time you give from schedules, families and friends to stop and enter a world I have created. The time to become a part of my characters’ lives. The time to invest in me as a writer.
Thank you so much. I am grateful.
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